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.
Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has subpoenaed 25 NFL teams in a major escalation of his ongoing racial discrimination lawsuit against the league.
Court filings reveal the former Miami Dolphins head coach has issued more than 1,000 discovery requests.
His legal team is attempting to obtain leaguewide hiring records and private communications regarding historic discrimination claims.
The NFL, alongside the Denver Broncos, New York Giants and Houston Texans, has pushed back strongly against the demands.
“The requests are punishingly overbroad,” lawyers representing the accused franchises argued in a joint response.
Proving systemic discrimination
Attorneys for the defensive specialist insist this extensive information is strictly necessary to prove systemic prejudice in hiring practices across the sport.
Judge Valerie E Caproni has now approved a formal briefing schedule that will dictate the next phase of this protracted legal battle.
A third amended complaint is due to be filed by 20 May, with motions to dismiss expected in early June.
The upcoming months will determine whether the civil rights claims are legally robust enough to proceed to a full trial.
A four-year legal battle
The 43-year-old originally sued the NFL and three specific franchises in February 2022.
He accused the league of being “rife with racism” regarding the employment and promotion of Black coaching staff.
Among several explosive allegations, he claimed Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered him substantial financial bonuses to deliberately lose matches in 2019.
He also alleged that both the Giants and Broncos conducted sham interviews with him simply to satisfy the Rooney Rule, which mandates teams must interview minority candidates for senior roles.
Despite leading Miami to their first back-to-back winning seasons since 2003, he was controversially dismissed in January 2022.
Supreme Court awaits
Fellow Black coaches Steve Wilks and Ray Horton later joined the landmark lawsuit.
Both men similarly allege they were denied genuine employment opportunities during their respective head coach hiring processes.
A federal appeals court allowed the broader discrimination claims to advance publicly last year.
The ruling expressed concerns about the fairness of allowing NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to serve as a private arbitrator in the dispute.
The NFL has subsequently filed a petition with the United States Supreme Court to intervene, with a final ruling potentially imminent.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has been ordered to immediately serve 30 days in a Texas jail after a positive marijuana test violated his probation terms.
The 24-year-old was booked into a Dallas County facility on Tuesday afternoon and is scheduled for release on 16 June.
This timeline means the pass-catcher will miss organised team activities and mandatory minicamp for the defending Super Bowl champions.
The Kansas City franchise has declined to comment on the ongoing legal situation.
High-speed crash consequences
The original probation sentence stems from a severe multi-vehicle collision on a Dallas highway in March 2024.
Authorities determined the former SMU standout was driving a Lamborghini SUV at 119 mph when he caused the major accident.
Alongside his college teammate Theodore Knox, who was driving a Corvette, the group fled the crash scene on foot without checking on the injured victims.
Legal and professional repercussions
In July, the American football star pleaded guilty to third-degree felony charges of collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway.
He received deferred adjudication, which would have seen the case dismissed upon successful completion of his five-year probation period.
The NFL previously suspended the receiver for six games last season under the league’s personal conduct policy.
Knox also pleaded guilty and received an identical criminal sentence, while the broader legal process continues with another trial scheduled for 9 June.
NFL team owners have voted to award Super Bowl LXIV to Nashville, with the 2030 championship game taking place at the Tennessee Titans’ new $2.1bn enclosed stadium.
The decision was confirmed on Tuesday following a league ballot, bringing the showpiece event to Music City for the very first time.
Construction on the state-of-the-art venue began in February 2024 and is scheduled for completion ahead of the 2027 season.
This timeline grants the local franchise three full campaigns to settle into their new home before hosting the global sporting spectacle.
Goodell praises Music City readiness
The destination has long been viewed as a strong contender to host the league’s premier fixture.
A highly successful staging of the 2019 draft process previously demonstrated the region’s capacity for accommodating major events.
“Nashville lacked only the stage.”
Those were the words of commissioner Roger Goodell in November, hinting heavily at Tuesday’s eventual announcement.
Capacity concerns regarding the existing open-air ground were swiftly addressed in prior discussions with league officials.
Future hosts and recent history
The Tennessee venue joins an impressive roster of upcoming championship locations across the United States.
SoFi Stadium in California will host the grand finale in 2027, followed by Atlanta in 2028 and Las Vegas in 2029.
Meanwhile, the league also revealed Minnesota and Washington will host the annual player draft in 2028 and 2027 respectively.
This follows a remarkably successful draft event in Pittsburgh this past April, which drew a record-breaking crowd of 805,000 fans.
The awarding of the 2030 showpiece follows a dramatic 2026 Super Bowl held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
The Seattle Seahawks claimed a 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots in that matchup, avenging their previous heartbreak against the same opponents in 2015.
That game also featured a historic, Spanish-language halftime performance by Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny.
Aaron Rodgers has surprised his Pittsburgh Steelers team-mates by immediately joining voluntary organized team activities on Monday after signing a new one-year contract.
The 42-year-old quarterback agreed to terms on a deal worth up to $25m (£19.7m) just days prior to his arrival.
His early appearance marks a significant shift from last year, when the veteran delayed reporting to Pittsburgh until the eve of mandatory minicamp.
Early arrival shocks team-mates
Inside linebacker Payton Wilson admitted he was caught off guard upon seeing the decorated signal-caller at the team training facility.
I was walking in, and he was coming out, and it was good to see him. I was a little shocked, definitely.
The multi-time Most Valuable Player arrived shortly after 07:00 local time to complete his medical examination with head athletic trainer Gabe Amponsah.
Following official confirmation of his signature, he took to the field alongside his new colleagues for the morning session.
Kicker Chris Boswell welcomed the early integration of the offensive leader.
For him to come back early right now and be around the guys, obviously one of his previous coaches, I mean, it’s only positive.
Building chemistry with new weapons
During the media viewing window, the seasoned American immediately assumed first-team repetitions during offensive installation drills.
He shared the quarterback rotation with Will Howard, Mason Rudolph and Drew Allar, completing five passes in his opening passing period.
His very first completion found newly acquired wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr, who joined from the Indianapolis Colts earlier in free agency.
Even in the first day, he made a couple of great throws, and I was like, wow, I’m really playing with Aaron.
The receiver noted that adjusting to the exacting standards of the future Hall of Famer is a straightforward, albeit demanding, process.
He’s just a super vet quarterback, so he knows what he likes and what he doesn’t like. If you’re not doing what you’re supposed to do, he’s going to let you know, which is good.
NFL owners are expected to vote on Tuesday to name Nashville as the host city for Super Bowl LXIV in 2030 during the Spring League Meeting in Orlando.
The decision will be finalised by league executives during a two-day gathering in Florida.
It marks the first time the Tennessee capital will stage American football’s biggest game.
The marquee event is intended to showcase the newly constructed home of the Tennessee Titans.
New stadium to take centre stage
The franchise’s state-of-the-art facility is currently scheduled to open its doors in 2027.
Bringing the championship game to the Music City continues the league’s trend of rewarding markets that invest heavily in modern venues.
Reports from the NFL Network indicate the impending vote is merely a formality for the rapidly growing destination.
Upcoming Super Bowl destinations
Before the grand finale arrives in Tennessee, several other prominent cities are slated to host the global spectacle.
Super Bowl LXI will take place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on 14 February 2027.
The following year, the contest moves to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, home of the Falcons.
Las Vegas is also expected to be officially confirmed as the host for Super Bowl LXIII following the 2028 season.
Four-time Most Valuable Player Aaron Rodgers has agreed a new one-year contract worth up to $25m (£19.7m) to remain with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The veteran quarterback is expected to earn a base salary of around $22m, supplemented by performance-based incentives.
He has already arrived in Pennsylvania and will report to the team’s voluntary organised team activities (OTAs) on Monday.
Reunion with familiar face McCarthy
The decision secures a reunion with newly appointed Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy, who replaced Mike Tomlin earlier this year.
The pair previously spent 13 highly successful seasons together at the Green Bay Packers, establishing a formidable partnership in the NFC North.
“I don’t see why you wouldn’t [want him back],” McCarthy noted at his introductory press conference.
“I was able to sit back and watch the games, watched most of the Pittsburgh games on TV, and I thought he was a great asset for the team.”
U-turn on retirement plans
This impending agreement follows weeks of procedural manoeuvring, with the franchise placing an unrestricted free agent tender on the 42-year-old to protect their compensatory draft picks.
Pittsburgh also moved to reinforce their depth under centre by selecting Penn State prospect Drew Allar in the third round of the recent NFL Draft.
The future Hall of Famer had previously indicated that his initial 2025 campaign with the Steelers would likely be his final year in professional football.
“I played 20 fricking years, it’s been a long run and no better place to finish than in one of the cornerstone franchises of the NFL,” Rodgers stated last summer.
However, despite turning 43 in December, the prolific signal-caller revealed late last season that his body felt remarkably youthful, eventually prompting this latest contract extension.
Authorities have arrested a 20-year-old suspect in Kentucky in connection with the shooting of Missouri football star Ahmad Hardy at an outdoor concert in Mississippi last Sunday.
Rashodrick Harris, originally from Wayne County, was taken into custody in Paducah on Thursday evening and is currently awaiting extradition.
Sergeant Macon Davis of the Laurel Police Department confirmed that the apprehended individual faces two charges of aggravated assault.
Recovery and investigation details
The All-American running back sustained a gunshot wound to his upper leg while attending an event at a Laurel bike club, located approximately 90 minutes from his hometown.
Following surgery in his home state, the Doak Walker Award finalist was medically cleared to return to Columbia on Wednesday to commence his rehabilitation process.
Law enforcement officials utilized security footage from the venue to identify the alleged shooter, successfully securing an arrest warrant after conducting a key witness interview.
While three other individuals initially questioned as persons of interest have been released without charge, investigators note that further arrests remain a distinct possibility.
Draft prospects and playing status
Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz has stated that the standout player’s availability for the upcoming college football season remains highly uncertain.
The dynamic offensive weapon delivered an exceptional campaign for the Tigers last year, amassing 1,649 rushing yards to rank second across the entire Football Bowl Subdivision.
His impressive haul of 16 touchdowns was instrumental in guiding the university programme to an 8-5 record, which culminated in a Gator Bowl appearance.
Prior to this violent incident, numerous NFL mock drafts had projected the 205-pound athlete as the premier running back prospect available for next April’s professional selection process.