Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar facts for kids

Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar (born Sharmon Shah on June 28, 1974), also known as Karim Abdul-Jabbar, is a former professional football player. He played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL). Abdul-Karim played college football for the UCLA Bruins. In 1995, he was recognized as a second-team All-American. He was chosen by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 1996 NFL draft. He also played for the Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts.

College Football Journey

Abdul-Karim was born in Los Angeles. He went to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and played for the Bruins from 1992 to 1995. His coach was Terry Donahue.

He set a school record for the most rushing yards in a single season. He was also named the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP) two years in a row. In 1994, he was known as Sharmon Shah, and in 1995, he was Karim Abdul-Jabbar. He played for UCLA for three years and was a starter for two of those years.

Even though he left college early, he is still third on the Bruins' all-time rushing list. He gained 3,030 yards on 482 carries, averaging 5.2 yards per carry, and scored 26 touchdowns. He also caught 36 passes for 885 yards and 9 touchdowns. In college, Karim averaged 110.1 total yards per game. He was the only player in UCLA history to rush for over 1,600 yards in a season.

Playing in the NFL

Time with the Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins picked Abdul-Karim in the third round of the 1996 NFL draft. He played for the Dolphins for three and a half seasons. In his first year, he set many new records for a rookie running back on the Dolphins team. He was only the second Dolphin player to lead the team in rushing in his first two seasons.

In 1997, he led the entire NFL with 16 total touchdowns. He also tied with Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis for the most rushing touchdowns in the league, with 15. After this great year, his performance started to slow down. In 1999, he started the first three games for the Dolphins. However, he was then taken out of the lineup and replaced by rookie players Cecil Collins and J.J. Johnson. He was later traded to the Cleveland Browns. When he left the Dolphins, he was second in the team's history with 33 rushing touchdowns and fifth with 3,063 rushing yards.

Playing for the Cleveland Browns

On October 19, 1999, the Dolphins traded Abdul-Karim to the Cleveland Browns. The Browns were a new team that had not won any games yet that season. In return, the Dolphins received a draft pick for the year 2000. He started 6 of the 10 games he played for Cleveland. He finished second on the team with 350 yards from 115 rushing attempts. He did not sign a new contract with the team after that season.

Short Time with the Indianapolis Colts

On July 13, 2000, the Indianapolis Colts signed Abdul-Karim to a one-year contract. He was brought in to replace Fred Lane, another player who had passed away. Abdul-Karim played in only one game for Indianapolis. He carried the ball one time for a loss of two yards.

NFL Career Numbers

Regular Season Stats

Personal Life

Abdul-Karim was a childhood friend of fellow football player Keyshawn Johnson.