Ahmad Hardy injury update: Eli Drinkwitz provides latest on Missouri star RB at SEC Media Days

Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz provided the most encouraging update yet on the recovery of star running back Ahmad Hardy during SEC Media Days on Monday. Hardy, who was shot in the leg in Mississippi in May, has officially begun the next phase of his rehabilitation after being medically cleared from the injury itself. While Drinkwitz cautioned that there is still uncertainty surrounding Hardy’s timeline to return to game action, he said the Tigers expect the standout back to make a full recovery. $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage Missouri will now closely monitor Hardy over the next several weeks as he works through an unprecedented rehabilitation process. Drinkwitz also used the opportunity to address the broader issue of gun violence while praising Hardy’s resilience throughout his recovery. Earlier Monday on SEC Now, Drinkwitz shared an optimistic outlook on Hardy’s progress: “He’s doing great,” Drinkwitz said. “Seen him in rehab. He’s doing everything he can do to get back as quickly as possible. I look forward to him having a great testimony and story to tell when the opportunity’s there. He’s given us everything he’s got to get back healthy.” Later during his main SEC Media Days press conference, Drinkwitz revealed Hardy has officially been cleared from the injuries directly caused by the gunshot: “Ahmad has been medically cleared from the bullet that struck him, and he is on the road to recovery,” Drinkwitz added. “The bullet did strike a bone in his body, and that has been fully healed and cleared. Today was his first day back towards a full recovery.” Moreover, Drinkwitz also acknowledged there is no established blueprint for returning to football after an injury of this nature: “We do anticipate that this return-to-play protocol could take anywhere between five to eight weeks,” Drinkwitz explained. “At the end of the eight weeks, we still don’t know what his recovery will be. Is he the same Ahmad Hardy that was last year? My anticipation and 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.” In the process, the Missouri coach also used Hardy’s situation to send a message beyond football: “This was a great opportunity for Ahmad to learn, and it was a great opportunity for our student-athletes to learn,” Drinkwitz said. “It was also a great reminder that there is no place for gun violence in this world.” Even while discussing the seriousness of the situation, Drinkwitz managed to inject a bit of humor: “I’m not sure that his riding horses was part of the recovery protocol that his surgeon had in place,” Drinkwitz joked. “But hell, John Wayne rode after he had been shot. He turned out all right. So Ahmad Hardy is trying the same approach.” Hardy was shot in the early morning hours of May 10 while attending a concert in Laurel, Mississippi. He underwent successful surgery before returning to Columbia to begin rehabilitation. One of the nation’s top running backs, Hardy rushed for 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns last season after transferring from Louisiana-Monroe. Across the past two seasons, he has totaled more than 3,000 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns, making him one of the SEC’s premier offensive weapons as Missouri awaits his eventual return.