Ameer Abdullah facts for kids
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Abdullah with the Detroit Lions in 2015
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| Position: | Running back / Kickoff returner | ||||||||||||||
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | June 13, 1993 Homewood, Alabama, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 203 lb (92 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Homewood (AL) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Nebraska (2011–2014) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2015 / Round: 2 / Pick: 54 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||||
Ameer Abdullah, born on June 13, 1993, is an American professional football player. He is known for playing as a running back and kickoff returner. He recently played for the Las Vegas Raiders in the National Football League (NFL).
The Detroit Lions chose him in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft. Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. In 2013, Abdullah ran for 1,690 yards, which was one of the best seasons in Nebraska history. He decided to stay for his senior year instead of entering the NFL draft early. Many thought he might win the Heisman Trophy in 2014. Abdullah grew up in Homewood, Alabama.
Early Life and High School Football
Ameer Abdullah was a talented athlete from a young age. In his senior year of high school, he was amazing on the field. He ran for 1,800 yards and caught passes for 515 yards. He also scored four punt return touchdowns for Homewood High School.
He was named the 2010 South region player of the year. In a special all-star game between Mississippi and Alabama, he scored the winning touchdown in overtime. Abdullah was also a track star. He ran the 100 meters in 11.15 seconds and had a long jump of 6.60 meters.
College Football Career
Choosing a College Team
Abdullah received many football scholarships from different schools. However, teams like Alabama and Auburn wanted him to play cornerback. Abdullah really wanted to be a running back.
The coach at Nebraska, Bo Pelini, told him they would help him use his talents best. This promise was the main reason Abdullah chose to play for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Playing for Nebraska: 2011 Season
Abdullah was one of only six new players to play for Nebraska in 2011. His best game was against Fresno State. In that game, he had 228 return yards. This included a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
His total kickoff return yards set a new record for Nebraska. He also scored his first college rushing touchdown against Penn State. For the 2011 season, he had 150 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. He also had 763 kickoff return yards and one touchdown.
Playing for Nebraska: 2012 Season
Abdullah became a starter in seven games after another player got injured. In his first start against UCLA, he ran for 119 yards and scored two touchdowns. He had a long run of 45 yards against Arkansas State.
He also scored a punt return touchdown against Idaho State. Abdullah had a great game against Wisconsin with 252 all-purpose yards. He became the first player in his college career to reach 1,000 rushing yards against Penn State. In 2012, he finished with 1,137 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
Playing for Nebraska: 2013 Season
In 2013, Abdullah rushed for over 100 yards in 11 of 13 games. This was a fantastic achievement for Nebraska. He started the season strong with 114 rushing yards against Wyoming. He then had 114 rushing yards and two touchdowns against Southern Miss.
He set a personal best with 225 rushing yards against Illinois. He continued to perform well, including a game against Michigan where he had 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He was named to the All-Big Ten first-team. Abdullah finished the 2013 season with 1,690 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns.
After this great season, Abdullah thought about entering the NFL draft early. But he decided to stay at Nebraska for his senior year. He said that finishing his college education was very important for his future success.
Playing for Nebraska: 2014 Season
Sporting News listed Abdullah as a top candidate for the Heisman Trophy in 2014. They also called him one of the best returning running backs. Experts said he was a "complete running back." They noted his ability to run low, making him hard to tackle.
He had great balance, vision to find holes, and patience to wait for his blockers. These skills, along with his speed and ability to keep moving, made him stand out. Nebraska even sent out batteries to sports reporters to promote his Heisman campaign.
Abdullah had an amazing game against Florida Atlantic, rushing for 232 yards. He also had a 57-yard rushing touchdown against Fresno State. Against Miami, he ran for 229 yards and scored two touchdowns. This game also broke a Nebraska record for career all-purpose yards.
He continued to shine, rushing for 208 yards and three touchdowns against Illinois. He also had a fantastic game against Rutgers. He ran for 225 yards and four touchdowns, setting another Nebraska record for all-purpose yards in a single game.
Abdullah was injured in a game against Purdue but returned to play. In his final college game, the Holiday Bowl, he had 88 rushing yards and a touchdown. He also caught six passes for 61 yards.
College Statistics
Here are Abdullah's rushing and receiving stats from his college career:
| Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Attempts | Yards | Average | Longest | Touchdowns | Receptions | Yards | Average | Longest | Touchdowns |
| 2011 | 42 | 150 | 3.6 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| 2012 | 226 | 1,137 | 5.0 | 45 | 8 | 24 | 178 | 7.4 | 26 | 2 |
| 2013 | 281 | 1,690 | 6.0 | 62 | 9 | 26 | 232 | 8.9 | 40 | 2 |
| 2014 | 264 | 1,611 | 6.1 | 57 | 19 | 22 | 269 | 12.2 | 58 | 3 |
| Career | 813 | 4,588 | 5.6 | 62 | 39 | 73 | 690 | 9.5 | 58 | 7 |
Here are his punt, kick return, and all-purpose yardage stats:
| Punt returns | Kick returns | All-purpose | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Attempts | Yards | Average | Touchdowns | Attempts | Yards | Average | Touchdowns | Attempts | Yards | Average | Touchdowns |
| 2011 | 15 | 107 | 7.1 | 0 | 26 | 763 | 29.3 | 1 | 84 | 1,031 | 12.3 | 4 |
| 2012 | 16 | 209 | 13.1 | 1 | 17 | 360 | 21.2 | 0 | 283 | 1,904 | 6.7 | 11 |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 4 | 77 | 19.3 | 0 | 311 | 1,999 | 6.4 | 11 |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 11 | 272 | 24.7 | 0 | 297 | 2,152 | 7.2 | 22 |
| Career | 31 | 316 | 10.2 | 1 | 59 | 1,492 | 24.9 | 1 | 975 | 7,086 | 7.3 | 48 |
Professional Football Career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 8+3⁄4 in (1.75 m) |
205 lb (93 kg) |
30 in (0.76 m) |
8+5⁄8 in (0.22 m) |
4.55 s | 1.48 s | 2.63 s | 3.95 s | 6.79 s | 42.5 in (1.08 m) |
10 ft 10 in (3.30 m) |
24 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day | ||||||||||||
Detroit Lions (2015–2018)
The Detroit Lions picked Abdullah in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft. He was the fourth running back chosen that year. In May 2015, he signed a four-year contract with the Lions.
2015 Season with the Lions
Abdullah started his rookie season as the third running back for the Lions. In his first game against the San Diego Chargers, he ran for 50 yards and caught passes for 44 yards. He scored his first touchdown with a 24-yard run.
He started his first game the next week against the Minnesota Vikings. Later in the season, he scored his first receiving touchdown against the Denver Broncos. He finished his rookie season with 597 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. He also had 183 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. The Detroit Sports Media named him the Lions' 2015 Rookie of the Year.
2016 Season with the Lions
Abdullah began his second season as the Lions' starting running back. In the first game, he ran for 63 yards and caught passes for 57 yards, scoring a touchdown. However, in the second game, he injured his foot. He tore a ligament and missed the rest of the 2016 season.
2017 Season with the Lions
Abdullah returned in 2017. In a game against the New York Giants, he ran for a career-high 86 yards. In Week 4, he had 94 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Vikings. He scored touchdowns in back-to-back games against the Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns.
He also had a receiving touchdown against the Chicago Bears. For the 2017 season, he finished with 552 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. He also had 162 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.
2018 Season with the Lions
In 2018, Abdullah was second on the depth chart but was soon passed by a rookie. He played in three games, mostly on special teams. The Lions released him in November 2018.
Minnesota Vikings (2018–2021)
The Minnesota Vikings picked up Abdullah after he was released by the Lions. In 2018, his main job was returning kicks. He re-signed with the Vikings in March 2019.
In the 2019 season, he played in all 16 games. He had 115 rushing yards and 88 receiving yards, including one receiving touchdown. He re-signed with the Vikings again in March 2020. In the 2020 season, he had 100 total scrimmage yards and two receiving touchdowns. He was released and re-signed to the practice squad multiple times in 2021 before being released in October.
Carolina Panthers (2021)
Abdullah signed with the Carolina Panthers in October 2021. He finished the 2021 season with 166 rushing yards and 289 receiving yards. He also scored one receiving touchdown for the Panthers.
Las Vegas Raiders (2022–2024)
Abdullah signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in March 2022. In the 2022 season, he played in all 17 games. He had 25 receptions for 211 yards and a receiving touchdown. He also helped with kickoff returns.
He re-signed with the Raiders in March 2023. In the 2023 season, he again played in all 17 games. He contributed to both the running and receiving game and played a role on special teams. Abdullah re-signed with the Raiders in March 2024. In the 2024 season, he had 311 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. He also caught 40 passes for 261 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.
NFL Career Statistics
| Key | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Kick returns | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games Played | Games Started | Attempts | Yards | Average | Longest | Touchdowns | Receptions | Yards | Average | Longest | Touchdowns | Returns | Yards | Average | Longest | Touchdowns | ||
| 2015 | DET | 16 | 9 | 143 | 597 | 4.2 | 36 | 2 | 25 | 183 | 7.3 | 36 | 1 | 37 | 1,077 | 29.1 | 104 | 0 |
| 2016 | DET | 2 | 2 | 18 | 101 | 5.6 | 24 | 0 | 5 | 57 | 11.4 | 18 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – |
| 2017 | DET | 14 | 11 | 165 | 552 | 3.3 | 34 | 4 | 25 | 162 | 6.5 | 22 | 1 | 8 | 179 | 22.4 | 29 | 0 |
| 2018 | DET | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 9.0 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 107 | 26.8 | 33 | 0 |
| MIN | 7 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 258 | 25.8 | 33 | 0 | |
| 2019 | MIN | 16 | 0 | 23 | 115 | 5.0 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 88 | 5.9 | 16 | 1 | 13 | 325 | 25.0 | 38 | 0 |
| 2020 | MIN | 16 | 0 | 8 | 42 | 5.3 | 13 | 0 | 8 | 58 | 7.3 | 22 | 2 | 15 | 352 | 23.5 | 33 | 0 |
| 2021 | MIN | 6 | 0 | 7 | 30 | 4.3 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 5.7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 162 | 23.1 | 45 | 0 |
| CAR | 11 | 1 | 44 | 136 | 3.1 | 15 | 0 | 35 | 272 | 7.8 | 23 | 1 | 22 | 484 | 22.0 | 39 | 0 | |
| 2022 | LV | 17 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 5.0 | 7 | 0 | 25 | 211 | 8.4 | 23 | 1 | 26 | 543 | 20.9 | 33 | 0 |
| 2023 | LV | 17 | 0 | 15 | 89 | 5.9 | 12 | 0 | 19 | 131 | 6.9 | 18 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – |
| 2024 | LV | 16 | 3 | 66 | 311 | 4.7 | 40 | 2 | 40 | 261 | 6.5 | 24 | 3 | 9 | 296 | 32.9 | 68 | 0 |
| Career | 141 | 26 | 494 | 1,994 | 4.0 | 40 | 8 | 203 | 1,468 | 7.2 | 36 | 11 | 151 | 3,783 | 25.1 | 104 | 0 | |
Postseason Stats
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Kick returns | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games Played | Games Started | Attempts | Yards | Average | Longest | Touchdowns | Receptions | Yards | Average | Longest | Touchdowns | Returns | Yards | Average | Longest | Touchdowns | ||
| 2016 | DET | 0 | 0 | did not play due to injury | ||||||||||||||
| 2019 | MIN | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 151 | 25.2 | 39 | 0 |
| Career | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 151 | 25.2 | 39 | 0 | |
Personal Life
Ameer Abdullah was born in Homewood, Alabama. His parents are Kareem and Aisha Abdullah. He is the youngest of nine children. In college, he studied History. His father, Kareem, is an imam and helps guide his son in religious matters.
Abdullah is a Muslim. He prays five times a day and fasts during Ramadan, even during football season. He believes fasting helps him become mentally stronger and more disciplined. He has said it helps him focus and be at his best mentally.
Images for kids
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Abdullah turning the corner on his third touchdown run.
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Abdullah crossing the 20 yard line.
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Abdullah heading to the end zone for his second touchdown.
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Abdullah crosses the goal line.
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