Missouri star RB Ahmad Hardy begins return-to-play protocol after gunshot wound

TAMPA, Fla. — Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy has fully healed after being shot in the leg in May and is progressing to return to the field, Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz said Monday.

The All-SEC running back has been medically cleared to begin a return-to-play protocol that will likely take 5-8 weeks, Drinkwitz said. Where Hardy’s recovery stands after that is unclear; the Tigers open against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sept. 3 and play rival Kansas on Sept. 11.

“We anticipate that he will make a recovery,” Drinkwitz said from the stage on the first day of SEC media days. “What that recovery will look like after having a bullet strike you is still to be determined.”

Hardy entered the offseason as one of the nation’s top returning backs. He finished second in the FBS with 1,649 rushing yards and tied for sixth with 16 touchdowns in his first season after transferring from Louisiana Monroe.

In May, Hardy was shot in the leg while at a concert in his home state of Mississippi. Drinkwitz called it a random act of violence and said the bullet struck one of Hardy’s bones. A few days after the shooting, a 20-year-old man, Rashodrick Harris, was arrested on charges of aggravated assault.

Drinkwitz said he expects Hardy to be even better than before based on what he’s seen from the junior’s rehab so far. He said Hardy has shown a lot of maturity during the process from the hospital bed to the football facility.

“When Ahmad scores his first touchdown this year, that’s what I’ll be thinking about,” Drinkwitz said.