Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy begins rehab after Mississippi shooting
Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy has begun his rehabilitation programme in Columbia just over a week after sustaining a gunshot wound in his home state of Mississippi.
The All-America standout returned to the university campus following surgery for an upper leg injury he suffered on May 10.
In a short video released by the university’s football programme on Wednesday, the 20-year-old addressed supporters directly about his recovery.
“I want to thank everybody for all the support and all of you all’s prayers, thank everybody for everything,” Hardy said.
“I’m back to the road to success.”
Drinkwitz remains cautious over recovery timeline
Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz confirmed there is currently no set date for his star player to return to the field.
“It’ll be several weeks before we actually get a timeline,” Drinkwitz told reporters this week.
“There’s some internal healing that has to occur before we get to any type of strenuous activities, which would then dictate a timeline on his return.”
The incident occurred while the athlete was attending a concert at a bike club in Laurel, Mississippi, located about 90 minutes from his hometown of Oma.
Police arrested 20-year-old Rashodrick Harris last week in connection with the shooting, charging him with two counts of aggravated assault after another individual was also injured.
A standout season for the former transfer
Prior to the incident, the highly-rated back was coming off a spectacular individual campaign that saw him rush for 1,649 yards.
That impressive tally ranked him second among all Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) players and earned him Associated Press All-America honours.
The former Louisiana-Monroe talent, who transferred to the Tigers ahead of the 2025 season, was also named as one of three finalists for the prestigious Doak Walker Award.
Supporters will now hope the prolific rusher can make a full and swift recovery ahead of his eventual return to competitive action.