Report: Greg Hardy maintains his innocence in domestic violence case

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy's NFL career remains in question in the wake of a high-profile domestic violence case. He has yet to sign with a team despite the case's dismissal.

In an apparent effort to clear his name and get back into the game, the free agent sat down with ESPN's Adam Schefter to maintain his innocence. The 27-year-old insisted he never laid a hand on any women, much less his ex-girlfriend. (Hardy's domestic abuse charges were expunged when the case fell apart in appeal.)

Here's an excerpt:

Hardy: "I've never put my hand on ANY women ... In my whole entire life, No Sir. That's just not how we're raised. As you can tell, like I said again, it's the Bible belt. It's just something that's, I wouldn't even say frowned upon, just something that's nonexistent in most southern homes."

Schefter: "You say you did nothing wrong, you're innocent and yet the pictures of her that surfaced would seem to suggest a woman who had some type of physical contact. How do you explain that?"

Hardy: "I will stop you there and say that I didn't say that I didn't do anything wrong. That situation occurred and that situation was handled but ... saying that I did nothing wrong is a stretch but saying I am innocent is correct. Yes sir."

Schefter: "Did you ever put your hands on her?"

Hardy: "No Sir ... No Sir."

The full interview is set to air on ESPN's "NFL Live" on Tuesday.

Hardy, 27, played 12 games for the Cowboys last season after serving a four-game suspension to start the year. He had six sacks but was at odds with teammates and coaches at times during the season.