Ahmad Hardy, coaches, teammates react to Mizzou star running back’s return
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Months removed from suffering a gunshot to the leg that would sideline him from all football-related activities for quite some time, Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy made his return to the field Saturday night.
The Tigers’ star tailback carried the ball 3 times for 42 yards in limited action during a 34-10 win over Arkansas, and he was thankful of the many people who helped him get back to doing what he loves.
“From coach to players to staff, everybody has just been really supportive,” Hardy said. “And I’ve taken heed of that.”
The Oma, Mississippi, native managed to pick up a first down with one of his runs, although Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz called more attention to what it took to get Hardy back on the field.
“I’m really, really proud of Ahmad Hardy,” Drinkwitz said. “It’s been a long road for him to get back here…You can tell he’s still trying to get back used to it, but he was still able to get us a big first down.”
And for Hardy’s teammates, they received a major boost from seeing their friend toting the rock again.
“It was heartwarming for the team, the fan base,” running back Jamal Roberts said. “Just to see him run again, take contact again, that’s something he loves doing.”
“Everybody was really surrounding him with this being his first time out there in a while,” quarterback Austin Simmons added. “So it’s just a really great feeling to have him back.”
Hardy will look to continue shaking off the rust and building confidence when Texas visits Columbia next Saturday for a marquee matchup.
Parker is currently the sports editor for Gulf Coast Media in Foley, Alabama. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
