ST. LOUIS, Mo. (Matrix Midwest) - Mizzou Football Coach Eli Drinkwitz told members of the media Monday that star running back Ahmad Hardy has been ‘medically cleared’ following a gunshot wound he suffered in May.
Coach Drinkwitz said the bullet struck a bone in Hardy’s body, but it has fully healed and cleared.
“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 said.
Drinkwitz also said it could take the running back five to eight weeks before he can play. The coach said it was hard to know how Hardy, who finished second in Bowl Subdivision last year with 1,659 yards, would play if he returns.
The coach said he was proud of the way Hardy, a junior who was seen as a potentially high NFL draft pick if he leaves college after this season, approached his recovery. Drinkwitz also sent a different message on a day in which he discussed Missouri’s prospects for the upcoming season.
“What I want to tell y’all is this was a great opportunity for Ahmad to learn. It was a great opportunity for our student-athletes to learn,” the coach said. “It was also a great reminder that there is no place for gun violence in this world.”
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