Health
Mizzou's Hardy medically cleared after being shot
Key Points
TAMPA, Fla. -- Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy has been medically cleared and is expected to make a full recovery from a gunshot wound to the leg, but his timetable for a return remains unclear, coach Eli Drinkwitz said Monday. Hardy was shot in the upper leg on May 10 while attending an outdoor concert at a biker club in Laurel, Mississippi. Drinkwitz said Hardy is "on the road to recovery" and is fully healed from a bullet that struck a bone in his leg.
TAMPA, Fla. -- Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy has been medically cleared and is expected to make a full recovery from a gunshot wound to the leg, but his timetable for a return remains unclear, coach Eli Drinkwitz said Monday.
Hardy was shot in the upper leg on May 10 while attending an outdoor concert at a biker club in Laurel, Mississippi. Drinkwitz said Hardy is "on the road to recovery" and is fully healed from a bullet that struck a bone in his leg.
Drinkwitz said the return-to-play protocol could take between five to eight weeks, but there are no guarantees about when Hardy will return and how he will play.
"We still don't know what his recovery will be from a 'is he the same Ahmad Hardy that was last year?'" Drinkwitz said at SEC Media Day. "My anticipation of what I've seen, the way he's attacked his rehab: He's going to be a better Ahmad Hardy than when he was before."
Hardy finished second among all FBS players in rushing last season with 1,649 yards, and he scored 16 touchdowns while helping the Tigers go 8-5.
Drinkwitz said surviving the experience has brought newfound perspective to Hardy as he has worked his way back.
"For Ahmad, there was that moment that he realized he was mortal, and that there could be really bad outcomes if you don't make the right decisions consistently," Drinkwitz said. "It was an unfortunate incident. When you just go to a concert, you don't anticipate [being] a victim of a random act of violence, especially gun violence. But I've been very proud of the way he's approached his recovery.
"His growth and maturity of understanding that his No. 1 responsibility is to be a father, and then after that, it's to continue to be a great teammate and continue to do the things that he wants to do in order to achieve his dreams. I think has been exactly what coaching is all about. It's about taking young men on a journey from 18 to maturity. When Ahmad scores his first touchdown this year, that's what I'll be thinking about -- is that journey from hospital bed to end zone."