KANSAS CITY, Mo. — University of Missouri football head coach Eli Drinkwitz announced Sunday that "after consulting with our medical team," running back Ahmad Hardy will return to practice for the first time this season.
In a statement released on social media, Drinkwitz said, "Our medical staff will determine his return to game action."
Back in May, the All-American running back was shot in the upper leg while attending an outdoor concert at a bike club in Laurel, Mississippi. Drinkwitz said the bullet struck a bone in Hardy's leg.
Hardy then underwent surgery in Mississippi and returned to Columbia, Missouri, three days after he was shot. He was medically cleared to prepare for the season in July.
“My anticipation of 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," Drinkwitz told reporters at SEC Media Days in Tampa, Florida.
Four days after the shooting occurred, 20-year-old Rashodrick Harris of Wayne County, Mississippi, was taken into custody in Paducah, Kentucky, and charged with aggravated assault. Harris was released on a $500,000 bond.
Last season, Hardy ran for 1,649 yards and scored 16 touchdowns for Mizzou, which went 8-5 and made its fifth straight bowl game.
Before his time with the Tigers, Hardy recorded 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns as a freshman with the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks.
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