He played in Tennessee LSU, Mississippi State, Mercer, Auburn, Clemson and Georgia.... without injury... so he wouldn't qualify in any way shape or form for a medical hardship...
Redshirt = ZERO games played
Medical Hardship = Season ending injury in first half of the season without playing more than 4 games.
Keep in mind that you only have 5 years to play 4 regardless of Medical Hardships awarded. So if you didn't play one year and then receive a medical hardship for another year, you'd have to apply for a 6th year of eligibility. The hard part to overcome in getting a 6th year is when you've used a Redshirt year already without injury. They don't often grant that 6th year in such cases.