Ahmad Hardy makes first public appearance since being shot

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

All-American running back Ahmad Hardy made his first appearance since suffering a gunshot wound at a concert in Laurel, Mississippi back on May 10.

Hardy held a meet-and-greet at the Pierpont General Store on Sunday afternoon, giving fans the first chance to take pictures, get autographs, or chat with him since the shooting.

"My fans, the people in Columbia, they love me, and I cherish that," said Hardy. "I thank them for being my fans and thank them for checking up on me."

Head coach Eli Drinkwitz confirmed that Hardy had been 'medically cleared' on July 20, and is in the process of returning to the gridiron. There is still no definite return date, but he has begun workouts in hopes of coming back sooner rather than later.

"It's been pretty challenging since I got shot. I'm on the road to recovery and I'm steady recovering at this moment, but everything's getting better each and every day, so just hopefully return as fast as I can."

While being sidelined for the offseason workouts, Hardy continued to show up to team activities to support his teammates, a gesture that was returned by the other Tigers. The team has rallied behind him, coming together to check in on him every day and supporting his journey back.

"My teammates, they've been there checking on me every day, coming in the training room, calling me, stopping by my house and things like that, so I really appreciate them."

Across the rest of the country, football fans alike have all shown support for the All-American, hoping to see him return to the field in 2026.