University of Missouri football star Ahmad Hardy is in stable condition after being shot at a concert in Mississippi on Sunday, May 10, the school has confirmed.
“Ahmad is deeply loved by his teammates, coaches, friends, family and fans,” the Tigers’ athletic department wrote in a statement shared via social media on Monday, May 11. “We will continue to stand beside him and his family through this difficult time, offering our love, prayers, strength and support.”
The statement continued, “A timeline for his return to football activities is unknown at this time. Mizzou Athletics will provide more information on his status when it becomes available.”
Hardy, 20, is “alert” and “moving around,” as of Monday morning, a source told ESPN’s Pete Thamel, adding there is “optimism that he will play football again.”
Hardy is a running back for the Tigers and in 2025, his first season with the program, led the team in rushing yards, carries and touchdowns. He topped 100 yards in each of his first five games with Missouri last season, earning the Doak Walker Award for the National Player of the Week in Week 3 after rushing for three touchdowns against the University of Louisiana.
Before transferring to Missouri, Hardy spent his freshman season at the University of Louisiana Monroe, where he was named the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year and earned a spot on the all-conference first team.
The shooting comes less than two months after he welcomed his first child, son Ahmad Hardy Jr. He shared a photo of himself holding the newborn via X on March 2, writing, “Welcome : Ahmad hardy jr 💙🫶🏾,” alongside the pic.
“No feeling like it,” he told 247Sports in March. “I love my son. I can’t wait to see him today.”
The school has not said what concert Hardy was attending, but the rising junior is an Ona, Mississippi native. His Mississippi roots gave Missouri’s game against Mississippi State University last season extra meaning, as he rushed for a career-high 300 yards and three touchdowns.
“I’m from Mississippi,” Hardy told reporters at the time. “A lot of teams didn’t recruit me coming out of high school, so it was kind of personal. But then, again, like I told the guys, the seniors, I was doing it for them.”
In addition to being a standout football player, Hardy is also an accomplished horse trainer. He owns four of them and told 247 that when his playing days are over, he hopes to become a vet.
“Whenever I get done playing, I’ll probably train horses for the rest of my life,” he added.
The Tigers will open the 2026 season on September 3, at home against the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
