TEAR THE CITY DOWN by Andre Hardy
THE QUICK SIX Interview
Tear the City Down, the debut crime novel from former NFL player Andre Hardy, publishes today, September 1, 2026 from Grand Central Publishing. The story blends jazz, football and the underbelly of San Diego in what NYT bestselling author S.A. Cosby calls “a fantastic journey through mean streets and shattered hearts.” Andre shared with us his inspiration for the book and more here in The Quick Six interview.
What was the original title of Tear the City Down, and did it change or stay the same?
The original title, way back when I started writing, was The Pit of Baphomet, which changed to Playing Coltrane as I worked on my MFA. And now, it will go to market as Tear the City Down.
What were you doing that moment you got that spark of an idea for Tear the City Down, and can you tell us about that experience?
Reading Walter Mosley’s Devil in a Blue Dress was that moment for me. A story populated with characters I recognized, it opened the door to the idea that maybe I could write something just as cool. It was never a question of what I would write. I find people are most interesting when under intense pressure, so I was drawn to hard-boiled and noir in particular. While entertaining the idea of writing a novel, a scene came to me in which the protagonist, Coltrane, enters an underground club to find a missing girl. All these years later, after more revisions than I care to remember, it remains in the book just as it came to me.
The top three books you will read over and over again are:
Middle Passage by Charles Johnson, Pegasus Descending by James Lee Burke, and Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley.
Beside “author,” what other job titles have you held?
Professional football player — I was the fourth pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1984. I also played for the Seahawks and 49ers. I worked in non-profits as a direct service provider, fundraiser, marketer, and executive director. I completed an auto industry training program to become a Ford dealer. I coached college football. Starting as a marketing executive, I was promoted to president and CEO of the US division of a Rotterdam-based manufacturing company. I was a business advisor in Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Businesses Program. I owned a small business consulting company.
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What is an assumption readers have about you that is incorrect?
Given that this is my debut, I don’t have enough reader feedback yet to provide a solid answer. My assumption, however, is that the “stigma” about athletes and intellect — serious crime fiction readers may be surprised by Tear the City Down’s subtle, genre-bending sophistication.
If you could spend one day doing something not related to writing or reading, what would that day look like for you?
Exploring the old churches and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
About the Book:
Coltrane Davis is at once a knight and a hustler. He has risen to wealth and success, graduating from San Diego’s back alleys to the halls of power through his partnership with Saul Sollman, a crooked kingmaker among the city’s elite. Running multimillion dollar scams with Saul, he has been Saul’s fixer, but now he wants out of the hustle so that he can focus on his teenage daughter’s burgeoning tennis career and finally be the dad he has always wanted to be.
But when the Los Angeles Chargers’ star running back vanishes one evening before a big game, Coltrane is drawn into an investigation of what happened by Saul and his protégé, the player’s agent; the stakes escalate with a gut-punch when the trail leads into San Diego’s underworld of drugs and prostitution and reveals clues to the disappearance of his daughter’s best friend, whose loss has haunted him.
Torn by the unreconcilable demands of the life he can’t seem to quit and the fierce desire he has to protect his own, Coltrane brings himself and his loved ones to the brink of destruction in his quest to free himself once and for all of Saul’s control―and focus on what really matters: family.
About the Author:
From NFL running back to author, educator, and business leader, Andre Hardy embodies reinvention and resilience. A two-time Hall of Fame inductee and crime novelist with an MFA from Antioch University, he writes with a noir sensibility, probing identity, morality, and redemption with sharp insight and unflinching depth.
His debut novel, TEAR THE CITY DOWN, plunges into the violent, corrupt underbelly of his hometown of San Diego and will be released by Grand Central Publishing in September 2026.
Hardy has written across multiple literary forms, including creative nonfiction, essays and short stories, screenwriting, and long-form narrative. His essays, interviews, and critical analysis have been published in L.A. Tribe Magazine, Lunch Ticket (Antioch University’s literary magazine), and The Los Angeles Review of Books. His short story, “Negro in a Hot Tub,” is featured in Made in L.A.: An Anthology of Stories Rooted in the City of Angels.
Selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1984 NFL Draft, Andre Hardy went on to play for the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks, carving a successful career in professional football. His achievements on the field earned him induction into both the Hoover High School and St. Mary’s College Sports Halls of Fame. He is a member of the NFL Retired Players Association and the NFL Legends Community, and he earned his MFA through the NFL Players Trust tuition reimbursement program.
A committed educator and advocate for social justice, Andre also develops creative writing workshops and curricula that inspire new voices while integrating narratives of historical and cultural importance. His impact extends to mentoring student athletes and advising small business owners, reflecting his belief in empowering others through knowledge and support. Born and raised in San Diego, Andre recently relocated to Charlotte, NC with his wife, renowned Buddhist meditation teacher JoAnna Hardy.
