Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Missouri Tigers running back Ahmad Hardy (29) runs the ball as Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns safety Jalen Clark (2) defends
It’s been a couple of months since Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy endured a harrowing ordeal after he was shot in the leg while attending a concert in Mississippi. Thankfully, he has not only made a speedy recovery but could be returning to the football field quicker than many people would have expected.
Missouri may have taken a slight step backward last season by finishing with an 8-5 record a year after going 10-3, but the same could not be said for Ahmad Hardy, the running back who made an immediate impact as a sophomore after transferring from Louisiana-Monroe.
Hardy showed plenty of promise after rushing for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns during his freshman campaign with the Warhawks, and he proved that was not a fluke by increasing those numbers to 1,649 and 16 with the Tigers. He was just 10 yards behind Jacksonville State’s Cam Cook when it came to the most rushing yards in the country, but he had 6.4 per carry to Cook’s 5.4 while leading the SEC on that front.
There was little doubt Hardy was going to play a major role in Missouri’s offense as a junior ahead of a possible leap to the NFL, but things took a brutal turn during the offseason. In May, the RB was attending a concert in his native Mississippi when he was shot in the leg, and while he quickly underwent surgery, his status for the upcoming campaign was still up in the air.
However, it looks like me may not end up missing much playing time.
Ahmad Hardy could be ready to play by the time Missouri kicks off the season after being shot
Missouri was understandably unable to provide a firm timeline for Hardy’s return in the immediate wake of the incident (one where he was seemingly an innocent bystander who was in the wrong place at the wrong time after a fight broke out), but he was thankfully listed as stable after his operation and wasted no time starting rehab.
According to The Athletic, head coach Eliah Drinkwitz shared a promising update concerning his recovery on Monday, as he revealed Hardy’s injury has fully healed while announcing he has been medically cleared to resume football activities.
There’s still some work to be done, as the RB will need to get back into fighting shape after having his physical activity limited over the past couple of months. Drinkwitz (who was comfortable enough to crack a joke about the shooting at SEC Media Day) estimated that process will take five to eight weeks, which means there’s a very good possibility he’s ready to suit up by the time the season gets underway.
Missouri will open things up against Arkansas Pine-Bluff on September 3rd, and Hardy may not see much playing time (if any) against an FCS squad that is getting paid $550,000 for what should be a guaranteed win for the Tigers. However, it does seem like there’s a good chance he’ll take the field against Kansas the following week if things go as planned.
Hardy’s case is obviously unique to him, but it is worth noting that Brian Robinson made his NFL debut with the Commanders just six weeks after he was shot twice in the leg following an attempted robbery in 2024. 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was also shot during a botched robbery in San Francisco a week before the season got underway that year, and he returned around a month and a half later.