If this really is goodbye, then Collin Hartman picked one hell of a way to go out.
Hartman, who’s uncertain whether or not he’ll use a medical redshirt to return for a fifth year, ended his 10-minute Senior Night speech proposing to his longtime cheerleader girlfriend Hayley Daniel.
She said yes.
“It’s been a crazy ride with this girl. I love her more than I can explain,” Hartman said after calling Daniel from the crowd to stand beside him. He motioned to his mother Melissa Compton to hand him the ring before getting dropping to a knee and proposing.
Back when they were freshmen, Hayley left a St. Patrick’s Day celebration early and took a bus from Chicago down to Indianapolis and then Bloomington against Hartman’s wishes so they could be together when Hartman first tore his ACL. She’s been there through all the injuries, big and small, Hartman said.
“There’s been a lot,” he said.
It was that kind of Senior Night speech.
“I kept it quiet,” said Tom Crean, who knew about the proposal ahead of time. He made sure to hand Hartman a water and asked Hartman, “Just getting started, aren’t you?” before calling Hayley over.
As far as former Bloomington Herald Times veteran writer Bob Hammel can tell, it was the first on-court proposal in IU Senior Night History in Bloomington. With a program like Indiana, any first at such a hallowed ground is noteworthy in it of itself.
Hartman thanked everyone ranging from God to Tom Crean’s family to his teammates and individual members of his own family. And of course, there were the team doctors.
When you’re like Hartman and go through a pair of knee surgeries, a broken wrist and other bangs and bruises along the way, you get to know the doctors pretty well.
“Obviously I needed you guys a lot to get through rehab,” Hartman said team doctor Tim Garl and his staff, drawing laughs from the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall crowd that stuck around following Indiana’s 63-62 win over Northwestern.
Hartman spoke alongside his mother, Melissa, father Brian Hartman, and stepfather David Compton. Brian drove about 16 hours from Nebraska to see his son play at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall for the first time.
Before that, his only chances to see his son play were at Nebraska.
“It’s funny because when we go to Nebraska, my whole dad’s side of the family is there,” Hartman said. “I use like, 30 tickets for that game, too. It’s kind of crazy.”
Hartman leaned on his mother and stepfather throughout his time in the state of Indiana, sometimes more than Hartman knew while he was just a little kid. He initially moved in with his uncle Mike when he got to the state.
Mike was a woodworker. He made a paddle specifically for the kids.
“Yeah,” Hartman said grinning, “that was fun.”
Hartman called his mom his rock through injuries, family financial problems and everything in between. When Hartman seemed like he was on the border of breaking down during his speech, Melissa was there to offer a hug before he shook her off.
“She’s the best person I know, and I wouldn’t be half the person I am today if it wasn’t for you,” Hartman said. “So thank you, I love you.”
Before Hartman gave his speech, he was welcomed with a video of former teammates offering their congratulations. Crean introduced him, saying Hartman had options whether that be to return or enter the working world.
He’s got options, Crean said. And options are good.
And so are proposals.
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