Missouri coach updates status of running back who was shot during offseason

It has been a challenging offseason for Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy. The standout talent, widely regarded as one of the elite players at his position in the SEC, was struck by gunfire in May while attending a concert in his home state of Mississippi.

Progressing Through Recovery

Hardy suffered a gunshot wound to his upper leg that required surgery. Providing an update from SEC media days in Tampa, Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz shared encouraging news regarding his star player's health.

"Ahmad has been medically cleared from the bullet that struck him and he is on the road to recovery," Drinkwitz said on Monday. "The bullet did strike a bone in his body, and that has been fully healed and cleared, and today was his first day back towards a full recovery."

While the team is optimistic, the coaching staff remains cautious about the timeline for a return to the field. "We anticipate that he will make a recovery. What that recovery will look like after having a bullet strike you is still to be determined," Drinkwitz explained. "We do not know exactly what the return to play progression is because there’s not a lot of literature and data on this. But we are utilizing our medical team, along with our athletic performance team and nutrition to approach this at a very good pace."

The Road Ahead

Drinkwitz emphasized that he is impressed by the mindset Hardy has maintained throughout his rehabilitation process. The program currently estimates a recovery window of five to eight weeks for his return-to-play protocol.

"At the end of the eight weeks we still don’t know what his recovery will be from—is he the same Ahmad Hardy that was here last year?" Drinkwitz noted. "My anticipation and what I’ve seen, the way he’s attacked his rehab, he’s going to be a better Ahmad Hardy than what he was before, and I’m very proud of the way that he’s approached his recovery."

In true coach fashion, Drinkwitz even injected a bit of humor regarding Hardy’s determined spirit: "I’m not sure that his riding horses was part of the recovery protocol that his surgeon had in place, but hell, John Wayne rode after he had been shot. He turned out all right."

Hardy is coming off a sensational campaign where he tallied 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns, anchoring a formidable backfield alongside Jamal Roberts for the Tigers.

"When Ahmad scores his first touchdown this year," Drinkwitz said, "that’s what I’ll be thinking about—that journey from hospital bed to end zone."