Ameer Abdullah

Ameer Abdullah (born June 13, 1993) is an American professional football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft. He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. In 2013, Abdullah rushed for 1,690 yards, fourth most for a single season in University of Nebraska history. He decided not to enter the NFL draft at the end of his junior year, but instead to return for his senior season. He was considered a contender for the 2014 Heisman Trophy. He is a native of Homewood, Alabama.

During his senior year of high school, Abdullah had 1,800 yards rushing, 515 yards receiving, and four punt returns for touchdowns for Homewood High School. He was the 2010 South region player of the year. In the 2010 Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Classic, he scored the winning touchdown in overtime.

Also a track star at Homewood, he ran a career-best time of 11.15 seconds in the 100 meters at the 2011 AHSAA 6A Section 3 Championships, placing 7th in the prelims. He also competed in the long jump; he had a career-best leap of 6.60 meters.

Abdullah was offered football scholarships from several schools, but schools such as Alabama and Auburn wanted him to play cornerback, while he wanted to be a running back. Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, however, while making no guarantees, told him that they would put him in a position that would maximize his talent. Pelini's view was the critical factor in Abdullah choosing Nebraska.

Abdullah was one of six true freshman to play for Nebraska in the 2011 season. His best game was against Fresno State when he had 228 return yards. He had 211 kickoff return yards including a 100-yard touchdown return. Abdullah's total kickoff return yards broke the previous Nebraska record. His best running total was 36 yards and his longest run was 24 yards, both against the Wyoming Cowboys. On November 12, against Penn State, he had his first collegiate rushing touchdown. Overall, in the 2011 season, he finished with 150 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, 26 kick returns for 763 net yards and a touchdown, and 15 punt returns for 107 net yards.

After Rex Burkhead was injured, Abdullah started seven games. His first start was against UCLA and he rushed for 119 yards with two touchdowns. His longest run was for 45 yards against Arkansas State in a 167-yard and two-touchdown performance. In the next game against Idaho State, he had a punt return touchdown. He had 252 all-purpose yards against Wisconsin, which included five kickoffs totaling 142 yards, 10 rushes for 70 yards, and 22 yards receiving. Against Penn State, he rushed for 116 yards and 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his college career. His per game average of 134.5 all-purpose yards ranked fourth in the Big Ten Conference and his per game average of 81.2 rushing yards ranked ninth. Overall, he finished the 2012 season with 1,137 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns, 24 receptions, 178 receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns, and a punt return touchdown.

Abdullah rushed for over 100 yards in 11 of 13 games (including the Gator Bowl). The ten 100-yard games during the regular season placed him fourth in Nebraska school history. On August 31, he started the season with 114 rushing yards against Wyoming. In the next game against Southern Miss, he had 114 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. After going for 98 yards against UCLA, he had 139 rushing yards and a touchdown against South Dakota State. He achieved a career-high rushing against Illinois of 225 yards. He followed that up with 126 rushing yards and a touchdown in the game against Purdue. In the next game, at Minnesota, he had 165 rushing yards. On November 9, against Michigan, he had 105 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and a receiving touchdown in the victory. In the next game, against Michigan State, he had 123 rushing yards and a 12-yard receiving touchdown. In the following game, against Penn State, he had 147 rushing yards and 18 receiving yards. For the season, he rushed for an average of 130.7 yards per game, which ranked him second in the Big Ten and seventh nationally. He had 232 yards in pass receptions and averaged 154.9 all-purpose yards per game, which also ranked him second in the Big Ten. He was placed on the All-Big Ten first-team by both the conference's coaches and media. He was a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award. He finished the season with 122 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown victory over Georgia in the Gator Bowl. Overall, in the 2013 season, he finished with 1,690 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns, 26 receptions, 232 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns.

After the Gator Bowl, Abdullah considered whether he should enter the 2014 NFL draft as an underclassman. On January 9, 2014, he decided to stay at Nebraska for his senior season, stating that