SUNY Cortland Athletics

2024: Nick was selected as an All-American by four different organizations; to the first team by Associated Press and the Walter Camp Foundation, to the second team by the AFCA, and to the third team by D3football.com...Was a second team Div. III Football Academic All-American and named to the Div. III Football Academic All-District team by College Sports Communicators...Was a first team All-Region 2 honoree by D3football.com...Named the Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year and a first team All-Empire 8 selection...Named the SUNY Scholar Athlete of the Year for football...Started all 12 games during the season for the Red Dragons...Finished with 42 total tackles, including 20 solo tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble, 19 quarterback hurries, and five pass breakups...Made six tackles, including 2.0 tackles for loss and one sack, and added three quarterback hurries, in a road win over Brockport...Had a 12-yard sack among three tackles in a win over Endicott in the second round of the NCAA Div. III playoffs...Recorded six tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, and a strip-sack in the final minutes of a road win over Susquehanna...Had 0.5 sacks and three tackles with two quarterback hurries in a win over Ithaca in the 65th Cortaca Jug Game...Recorded 0.5 sacks each in wins over Utica and Hartwick...Had 1.0 tackle for loss against Springfield in the third round of the NCAA Div. III playoffs. 

2023: First Team All-Empire 8...College Sports Communicators Academic All-District...Started all 15 games...Recorded team highs of 12.5 total tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks among his 23 total tackles...Finished with three forced fumbles, a pass breakup, a fumble recovery and 16 quarterback hurries...Posted six total tackles, including three sacks and 4.5 total tackles for loss, and forced two fumbles in NCAA quarterfinal win at Alma...Recorded a sack in NCAA finals versus North Central...Sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery at Lycoming.

2022: CSC Division III Academic All-District...First team All-Empire 8...Started the first seven games of the season...Registered 24 tackles, 11 solo, 6.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, two pass break ups and one blocked kick...Led the team with 22 quarterback hurries...Had seven tackles, a tackle for loss and half a sack in a home win versus Wittenberg...Made six tackles in a victory at Brockport...Recorded three solo tackles, two sacks and blocked a field goal in a home win versus Hartwick...Made three tackles, including two sacks, in a home victory versus The College of New Jersey...Registered four tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack in a win at Buffalo State.

2021: Named the ECAC Division III Defensive Rookie of the Year and second team All-ECAC...Second team D3football.com all-region selection...Named the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and first team All-Empire 8...Started all 12 games...Registered 51 tackles, 23 solo...Led the team with 18 tackles for loss and 32 quarterback hurries...Recorded 5.5 sacks, an interception, three pass break ups and one forced fumble...Made eight tackles in a home win versus Springfield in the first round of the NCAA playoffs...Finished with four tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in a win at Wittenberg...Registered four tackles, two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in a victory at Hartwick...Had six stops, including five solo and a tackle for loss, at home versus RPI in the second round of the NCAA playoffs...Finished with five tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and half a sack in a home win versus Ithaca...Had five tackles, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble in a home victory versus Utica...Recorded five tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack in a home victory versus Buffalo State.

2020: Member of the program but the season was canceled.

High School: A 2020 graduate of Smithtown East...Three-year starter in football...Named all-division and all-county...Three-year starter in basketball.

Other: Member of the Dean’s List at Cortland...Named the 2022 Cortland C-Club Male Rookie of the Year...Named to the 2021 Empire 8 President’s List.

Parents: Susan and Joseph Lardaro...Siblings: Bella, Sophia...Bella is a Cortland graduate.