 Abdullah in 2014 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 39 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Safety | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1985-07-27)July 27, 1985 (age 40) Los Angeles, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 204 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Pomona (Pomona, California) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Washington State (2003–2007) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2008: undrafted | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Husain Ibn Muhammed Abdullah (born July 27, 1985) is an American former professionalfootball player who was asafety in theNational Football League (NFL). He was signed by theMinnesota Vikings of theNational Football League (NFL) as anundrafted free agent in 2008 and also played for theKansas City Chiefs. He retired from the NFL after seven seasons due to multipleconcussions sustained during his career and concern for his future health. Abdullah playedcollege football for theWashington State Cougars. He is the younger brother of former NFL safetyHamza Abdullah.
Abdullah attendedPomona High School[1] and was most well known for his athletics. In high school, he received many honorable awards as he represented his school football team as captain. Abdullah is a defensive back and a contributor to the special teams unit as a kick returner. During Abdullah's sophomore year, he was awarded the team's defensive MVP and was nominated as rookie of the year. During his junior year, Abdullah won the All-Inland Valley award and as a senior, and stood as the number 9 ranked safety in the west coast.
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Abdullah was an undrafted rookie who later signed with theMinnesota Vikings. He served as a backup from 2008 to 2009. Before the 2010 season he was named the startingstrong safety. The competition in the offseason and preseason was thought to be betweenTyrell Johnson andJamarca Sanford, but Abdullah won the job. During the 2011 season, Abdullah became the startingfree safety, but a concussion (his fourth in 15 months) ended his season.[2]
After he returned from a year off, Abdullah accepted a one-year contract offer from the Chiefs,[2] and played in all 16 games (starting 2) of the 2013 season; he also started the Chiefs' playoff game againstIndianapolis, making 2 interceptions in that game to tie a team playoff record.
An unrestricted free agent after the season, Abdullah re-signed with the Chiefs on March 12, 2014. During a Monday Night Football game on September 29, 2014, against theNew England Patriots, Abdullah intercepted a pass, returning it for a touchdown. He was given a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for sliding on his knees, then bowing down and giving praise in Islamic prostration.[3] The next day, the NFL said the penalty was a misapplication of the relevant rule, and should not have been assessed.[4] The penalty created much controversy on social media, including beyond America.[5]
Abdullah retired from football on March 28, 2016, citing concern over the fiveconcussions he had accumulated during his career.[6] He later explained the decision further in an essay submitted toThe Players Tribune.[7]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2008 | MIN | 16 | 0 | 20 | 14 | 6 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | MIN | 14 | 0 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | MIN | 15 | 15 | 75 | 54 | 21 | 0.0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | MIN | 9 | 9 | 49 | 44 | 5 | 1.0 | 3 | 1 | 32 | 0 | 32 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | KAN | 16 | 2 | 27 | 22 | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 44 | 1 | 44 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | KAN | 16 | 16 | 71 | 58 | 13 | 0.0 | 2 | 1 | 39 | 1 | 39 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | KAN | 11 | 4 | 29 | 24 | 5 | 0.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 97 | 46 | 288 | 231 | 57 | 2.5 | 12 | 6 | 120 | 2 | 44 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2008 | MIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | MIN | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | KAN | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | KAN | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 6 | 1 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Abdullah is the son to Yusuf and Sa'eeda Johnwell.[8] He lived in a very large family, one of 12 children. As a practicingMuslim, Abdullah observes fasting inRamadan—even during the football season.[9] He sat out the 2012–2013 season to makeHajj toMecca with his brotherHamza Abdullah, who was also in the NFL.[2] He is a member of theAlpha Lambda Mu fraternity, America's first and only Muslim fraternity.
