Ahmad Hardy injury update: Missouri RB 'medically cleared' after gunshot wound
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Missouri football coach Eliah Drinkwitz provided an update on running back Ahmad Hardy at SEC Media Days on Monday.
Speaking to reporters in Tampa, Drinkwitz began his time on the podium by mentioning that Hardy has been “medically cleared” from the gunshot wound he sustained in May after attending a concert in Mississippi.
“Ahmad has been medically cleared from the bullet that struck him and 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.”
Drinkwitz did not provide an exact timeline for when Hardy may play this season, as Missouri expects it to be anywhere between five and eight weeks.
“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. We do not know exactly what the return to play progression is,” Drinkwitz said. “We are utilizing our medical team along with our athletic performance teams and nutritionists to approach this at a very good pace. We do anticipate that this return to play protocol could take anywhere between five and eight weeks.”
He added: “We still don’t know what his recovery will be from, ‘Is he the same Ahmad Hardy that was last year?’ 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.”
The Tigers‘ running back was shot in the upper leg and underwent surgery in May after sustaining a gunshot wound after attending a concert in Laurel, Mississippi, his home state. Laurel Police Department Sgt. Macon Davis told the Kansas City Star that Hardy was in the passenger seat of a vehicle while attempting to leave a concert when he was shot, and that he was described as an innocent bystander.
Hardy led the SEC and Power Four conferences with 1,649 rushing yards last season for the Tigers, scoring 16 rushing touchdowns, which set a program single-season record.
Missouri is set to open up its 2026 season on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 8 p.m. ET against Arkansas Pine Bluff at Memorial Stadium.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ahmad Hardy injury update: Missouri RB ‘medically cleared’ after gunshot wound
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