Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy returns to play 6 months after being shot in the leg

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy returned to the field for the No. 23 Tigers on Saturday night at Arkansas, nearly six months after being wounded in the leg during a shooting at an outdoor concert.

Hardy entered the game late in the first quarter to an ovation from Missouri fans.

Hardy, who ran for 1,649 yards and a school-record 16 touchdowns in 2025, was attending a concert in Laurel, Mississippi, in his home state, when he was shot in the leg as a bystander on May 10. Police made an arrest in the shooting and charged the suspect with two felony counts of aggravated assault.

There have been few details released about the extent of Hardy’s various injuries. Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz indicated this week that the 20-year-old back needed to have a metal rod inserted in his femur, the large bone in the upper part of the leg.

In Hardy’s absence this season, senior Jamal Roberts has been the go-to back in Missouri’s rushing attack. Roberts entered the weekend with 867 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground and tops in the Southeastern Conference in rushing yards per game at 123.9.

Last November, Hardy keyed a 31-17 victory over Arkansas in Fayetteville. He rushed 27 times for 157 yards — his third-best output in 2025 — and a touchdown in the game.

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