Mizzou's Head Coach Provides Update on Ahmad Hardy's Road to Recovery

One step at a time, literally, is Ahmad Hardy's path back to the football field.

Hardy, a consensus All-America running back for Missouri last season, was the victim of a gunshot wound on May 10 in Laurel, Mississippi. Hardy, struck in the upper leg, reportedly wasn't involved in any of the events leading up to the shooting. He was leaving the concert as a passenger in a vehicle when he was struck, police said.

Currently, Hardy is in Columbia, bringing his energy to workouts as he recovers.

'Progressing well,' said Missouri football coach Eli Drinkwitz. 'Still working back. Not fully acclimated back to walking yet. I shouldn't say 'walking.' Weight-bearing is more accurate.'

'Great energy. The biggest thing for us right now is holding him back. He wants to progress faster than what the docs want. So, little by little. Little becomes a lot. But not quite where we want to be yet.'

Drinkwitz mentioned that Hardy has been attending the team's 6 a.m. meetings and other offseason training activities.

'He's always been one of the favorites of the team, a guy everybody likes to be around,' said Drinkwitz, who was attending a Missouri fan rally at Chicken N Pickle in Overland Park on Sunday.

Being with the team has been mutually beneficial. Teammates get a chance to see Hardy's progress, and he doesn't have to rehabilitate in isolation.

'I think it's good for him,' Drinkwitz said. 'Any time you have an injury, sometimes you feel separated from the team. But he's been there...he spends almost three hours a day in the training room, around our guys, in the locker room, doing rehab.'

Hardy is coming off a monster season, his first for the Tigers after transferring from Louisiana-Monroe. He surpassed 100 rushing yards in each of his first five games, and later in the season rushed for 300 yards against Mississippi State.

For the season, Hardy rushed for 1,647 yards and 16 touchdowns. His 126.8 rushing yards per game ranked second nationally. He was one of three finalists for the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back.