Honors & Awards
» 2014 Second-Team All-American (Walter Camp, CBS, Scout, Athlon, AP, SI)
» 2014 Doak Walker Award Finalist (1 of 3)
» 2014 Senior CLASS Award Winner
» 2014 Pop Warner College Football Award (1 of 10)
» 2014 Paul Hornung Award Finalist (1 of 5)
» 2014 Wuerffel Trophy Finalist (1 of 12)
» 2014 Maxwell Award Semifinalist (1 of 20)
» 2014 Second-Team All-Big Ten (Coaches, Media)
» Hornung Award Honor Roll (vs. McNeese State, vs. Illinois, 2014, vs. Northwestern, 2013)
» Five-Time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (vs. Florida Atlantic, 2014,
vs. Miami, 2014 , vs. Illinois, 2014, vs Rutgers, 2014, vs. Illinois, 2013)
» Athlon Sports National Player of the Week (vs. Illinois, 2014)
» Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List (2013, 2014)
» 2013 Third-Team All-American (Associated Press)
» 2013 Doak Walker Award Semifinalist (1 of 10)
» 2013 First-Team All-Big Ten (Coaches, Media, BTN, Phil Steele)
» Academic All-Big Ten (2013, 2014)
» Team Captain (2013, 2014)
» Nebraska Team MVP (2013, 2014)
» Nebraska Offensive MVP (2014)
» Nebraska Lifter of the Year (2012, 2013)
» Second-Team All-Big Ten Running Back (Coaches, 2012)
» Second-Team All-Big Ten Punt Returner (Phil Steele, 2012)
» Third-Team All-Big Ten Running Back (Phil Steele, 2012)
» Honorable-Mention All-Big Ten Running Back (Media, 2012)
» Johnny “The Jet” Rodgers Return Specialist Award Semifinalist (1 of 12, 2012)
» Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week (vs. Idaho State, 2012, vs. Fresno St., 2011)
» Four-Time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll
» Big Ten Sportsmanship Award (2014)
» Brook Berringer Citizenship Team (2014)
» Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2014)
» Nebraska HERO Leadership Award (2012, 2014)
» First-Team All-Big Ten (Kickoff Returner, Yahoo.com, 2011)
» Second-Team All-Big Ten (Kickoff Returner, Phil Steele, 2011)
» Big Ten All-Freshman Team (Kickoff Returner and Punt Returner, Yahoo.com, 2011)
» Big Ten All-Freshman Team (Punt Returner and Running Back, ESPN.com, 2011)
» Big Ten Freshman of the Week (vs. Fresno State, 2011)
Senior I-back Ameer Abdullah completed one of the most prolific careers in Nebraska football history with a record-setting 2014 campaign. Abdullah has made his mark on the Nebraska program on and off the field and will leave a permanent imprint in the Husker record book.
Abdullah put together his third straight 1,000-yard rushing season in 2014, a first in the history of the Nebraska football program. The 5-9, 200-pound Abdullah had four games with more than 200 rushing yards, tying a Nebraska single-season record.
The Alabama native finished 2014 with 1,611 rushing yards, which ranks sixth on the Nebraska single-season list and the second-best rushing total for a Husker senior. His 2014 rushing total came on the heels of 1,690 rushing yards in 2013, making Abdullah just the second player in school history with a pair of 1,500-yard rushing seasons.
Abdullah finished his career with 4,588 career rushing yards, trailing only Mike Rozier’s NU record of 4,780 career rushing yards.
Abdullah’s average of 123.9 rushing yards per game ranked 13th nationally and he averaged an impressive 6.1 yards per carry. Abdullah was also a receiving threat out of the backfield with 22 receptions and three touchdowns, and a dangerous kickoff returner, averaging 28.0 yards on 14 returns.
Abdullah averaged 174.8 all-purpose yards per game to rank fourth nationally. Abdullah’s 2,272 all-purpose yards this season are the second-most in school history. Abdullah increased his career all-purpose yardage total to 7,186 yards, a total that ranks second in Big Ten history. He is one of just 11 players in FBS history to surpass 7,000 career all-purpose yards.
Abdullah found the end zone with regularity in 2014. Abdullah had 19 rushing touchdowns and 22 total TDs to rank in the top 10 on the NU season charts in both of those categories. He also ranked ninth nationally in scoring, averaging 10.2 points per game and his 132 points scored this season are tied for the third-most in school history. His 288 career points were sixth in NU history and third among position players.
Abdullah was honored for his play in 2014. One of three finalists for the Doak Walker Award, Abdullah was also a finalist for the Hornung Award, Wuerffel Trophy, Senior CLASS Award and the Pop Warner College Football Award.
Abdullah earned second-team All-America honors from the Associated Press, Walter Camp Football Foundation, CBS Sports.com, Scout.com and Athlon. Abdullah also earned All-Big Ten honors for the third straight season, being named to the second-team by both the Coaches and Media, while earning first-team all-league honors from several outlets.
A standout off the field, Abdullah was named to the academic All-Big Ten team for the second straight season. He earned his degree in history in December, completing his undergraduate studies in just 3 1/2 years.
2014 (Senior)
Florida Atlantic: Rushed 21 times for a career-high 232 yards, topping his previous career high of 225 yards against Illinois in 2013... rushing total marked the 15th-most rushing yards in school history and the 37th 200-yard rushing game in Nebraska history... 232 yards were the second-most by a Husker in a season opener, trailing Marlon Lucky’s 233 yards against Nevada in 2007. McNeese State: Rushed 17 times for 54 yards and one touchdown... caught three passes for a career-high 96 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter that broke a 24-24 tie... 58-yard catch alone broke his previous single-game high of 50 yards against UCLA in 2013.... finished the game with 184 all-purpose yards, including 90 yards in the fourth quarter on three touches. Fresno State: Rushed 19 times for 110 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to give NU a 14-0 lead... 57-yard run was a season long and his third run of at least 30 yards in 2014. Miami: Rushed a career-high 35 times for 229 yards and two touchdowns, while also adding a three-yard touchdown reception... previous career high in carries was 31 against Penn State in 2012... posted a then-career-high 313 all-purpose yards, bettering his 252-yard effort against Wisconsin in 2012... 313 all-purpose yards ranked third on the Nebraska single-game all-purpose yardage list, and is the most by a Husker since Roy Helu Jr. had a school-record 321 all-purpose yards against Missouri on Oct. 30, 2010. Illinois: Rushed 22 times for 208 yards with a career-high three rushing touchdowns... opened the game with five carries for 60 yards on Nebraska’s first drive, capped by a 12-yard touchdown run to give Nebraska a 7-0 lead... rushed for 196 yards on 20 carries in the first half alone, including 13 carries for 127 yards in the first quarter... marked the second straight three touchdown game for Abdullah after recording two rushing scores and a receiving TD against Miami... 208-yard effort was Abdullah’s fourth career 200-yard rushing game and third of 2014... notched a 200-yard game against the Illini for the second straight season, after posting 225 yards last season... Michigan State: Rushed 24 times for 45 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns... had 22 receiving yards and 48 yards on kickoff returns, giving him 115 all-purpose yards... became the seventh player in Big Ten history with more than 6,000 career all-purpose yards... limited to 67 yards from scrimmage, ending a nation-leading streak of 18 straight games with at least 100 yards from scrimmage. Northwestern: Rushed 23 times for 146 yards and a career-high four touchdowns... first player in Nebraska history with three 1,000-yard rushing seasons, and marked the 35th 1,000-yard rushing season in school history... 146 rushing yards marked his 22nd career 100-yard rushing game, and his third career 100-yard rushing game against Northwestern... became the first Husker to score four rushing touchdowns in a game since quarterback Taylor Martinez had four rushing touchdowns at Kansas State on Oct. 7, 2010... totaled 13 receiving yards and 15 kick return yards for 174 all-purpose yards. Rutgers: Rushed 19 times for 225 yards and three touchdowns... marked his fourth 200-yard rushing game of the season (Florida Atlantic, Miami, Illinois, Rutgers) all at Memorial Stadium... marked his 23rd career 100-yard rushing game, and his sixth of the 2014 season... totaled 26 receiving yards and 90 kick return yards for a school-record 341 all-purpose yards... previous record was 321 all-purpose yards by Roy Helu Jr. against Missouri in 2010. Purdue: Left the game early with an injury... was limited to one yard on six carries. Wisconsin: Played in his 50th career game... rushed 18 times for 69 yards. Minnesota: Rushed 20 times for 98 yards and one touchdown. Iowa: Rushed 13 times for 106 yards, including a 53-yard run in the third quarter, his fourth run of at least 50 yards this season... marked Abdullah’s nation-leading 24th career 100-yard rushing game and his seventh of the 2014 season... receiving touchdown in the second quarter was his 21st overall touchdown this season, including 18 rushing scores and three TD receptions. USC: Capped his Nebraska career with 269 all-purpose yards in the Holiday Bowl...rushed for 88 yards, including a 20-yard third-quarter touchdown...caught a career-high six passes for 61 yards...had three kickoff returns for 120 yards, including returns of 49 and 46 yards...His rushed touchdown was his 19th of the season and 22nd overall touchdown of 2014, and 48th overall score in career.
2013 (Junior)
Abdullah ran for 1,690 yards and nine touchdowns on 281 carries during the 2013 season. Abdullah topped 100 yards in 11 of 13 games, including a career-high 225 yards against Illinois. He had a streak of eight straight games with 100 yards, and topped 85 yards in all 13 games.
Abdullah averaged 130.0 rushing yards per game to rank second in the Big Ten and seventh nationally. In conference games, he was even better, averaging 137.9 yards per game to again rank second in the conference.
Abdullah was also Nebraska’s third-leading receiver with 26 receptions for 232 yards and two touchdowns. His all-around ability placed him first in the conference and 13th nationally in all-purpose yards per game, averaging 153.8 yards per game.
Abdullah averaged 6.0 yards per carry and carried the ball more than 20 times nine times in 2013, including each of the final six games. While showing the ability to carry a heavy load, Abdullah also provided a big-play threat in the running game. He had eight runs of 30 yards or more, ranking among the national leaders in that category.
Abdullah opened the year with 114 yards against Wyoming, including a career-long 62-yard run in the second quarter. He also ran for 114 yards and two touchdowns against Southern Miss. Abdullah was limited to 98 yards against UCLA, but accounted for 148 all-purpose yards in the contest. He closed non-conference play with 139 rushing yards and 185 all-purpose yards against South Dakota State.
He enjoyed a career day against Illinois, rushing for a career-high 225 yards and two touchdowns on just 20 carries, the most rushing yards for a Husker since 2010. Abdullah had three runs of 30 yards or more against the Fighting Illini, including a spectacular 43-yard TD run in the third quarter. He was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for his effort.
Abdullah surpassed the 2,000-yard career rushing mark at Purdue when he rushed 20 times for 126 yards and a touchdown. Abdullah had an excellent effort in a loss at Minnesota, rushing 19 times for 165 yards.
He ran 24 times for 127 yards against Northwestern to move past 1,000 rushing yards on the season. He was the first NU player to break the 1,000-yard mark in eight games since Ahman Green in 1997. Abdullah also caught three passes for 31 yards on the game-winning drive in the final seconds, including a 16-yard catch and run to convert a 4th-and-15 and keep NU’s hopes alive.
Abdullah rushed for 105 hard-fought yards on 27 carries in a 17-13 win at Michigan. He also caught a five-yard touchdown pass in the final minutes to provide the winning score. Abdullah rushed 22 times for 123 yards against Michigan State’s top-ranked rushing defense. He was the first runner to top 100 yards against the Spartans since he and Taylor Martinez both did it at MSU in 2012.
Abdullah posted his eighth straight 100-yard rushing game at Penn State with 25 carries for 147 yards, including a 50-yard run to set up a tying field goal in the fourth quarter. He closed the regular season with 23 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown against Iowa. Abdullah posted his 11th 100-yard game of the season in the Gator Bowl win over Georgia, rushing 27 times for 122 yards and a a touchdown against the Bulldog defense.
2012 (Sophomore)
Abdullah played in all 14 games with seven starts and helped Nebraska lead the Big Ten in both rushing and total offense. He rushed 226 times for 1,137 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore after he was thrust into a leading role following an early-season injury to senior Rex Burkhead.
Abdullah ran for at least 100 yards in each of his first five starts, the first Nebraska player to accomplish that since 1994. He finished the year with six 100-yard rushing games. His 81.2 rushing yards per game were ninth in the Big Ten, and he ranked fourth in the conference in all-purpose yards per game at 134.6 yards per game. Abdullah earned second-team All-Big Ten honors from the league’s coaches for his effort as a sophomore.
Abdullah carried the ball more than 15 times in eight games, including 30 or more carries against both Arkansas State and Penn State. Out of the backfield, Abdullah caught 24 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 21.2 yards on 17 kickoff returns to rank in the top 10 in the conference and 13.1 yards on 16 punt returns.
After Burkhead went down early in the Southern Miss contest, Abdullah took over as the lead back and rushed 15 times for 81 yards. He also caught four passes in the game, including his first career receiving touchdown.
Abdullah earned his first career start at UCLA and responded with 16 carries for 119 yards and two touchdowns. Abdullah rushed for a season-high 167 yards on 30 carries against Arkansas State, including a season-long 45-yard run. A week later, he had an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Abdullah produced one of the most prolific all-purpose games in school history against Wisconsin. He totaled 252 all-purpose yards, including five kickoff returns for 142 yards, highlighted by an 83-yard return in the first quarter. He also ran 10 times for 70 yards and had 22 receiving yards. Abdullah also had a big night in the return game at Ohio State with eight returns for 128 yards, and scored a pair of rushing touchdowns against the Buckeyes.
Abdullah helped key Nebraska’s six-game win streak in the second half of the regular season. He ran 19 times for 101 yards at Northwestern in a 29-28 win, then had 24 carries for 101 hard-fought yards in a 23-9 victory over Michigan in Lincoln, including 85 rushing yards after halftime.
Abdullah ran for 110 yards on 22 carries at Michigan State and caught a touchdown pass in the game. He was a workhorse in a comeback win against Penn State, carrying a career-high 31 times for 116 yards. Abdullah carried 18 times for 79 yards against Minnesota to move past 1,000 rushing yards.
With Burkhead returning to action for the final three games, Abdullah’s number of carries decreased, however he ran for a combined 127 yards on 39 carries in the final three games of the year to finish with 1,137 yards.
2011 (Freshman)
Abdullah saw action in every game as a true freshman. He rushed for 150 yards and three touchdowns, reaching the end zone against Penn State, Michigan and South Carolina. He was also one of the nation’s most dangerous return threats. Abdullah averaged 29.3 yards on 26 kickoff returns, including a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Fresno State. He set a school-record with 211 kickoff return yards against the Bulldogs. Abdullah ranked ninth nationally in kickoff return average and also averaged better than seven yards on 15 punt returns.
Before Nebraska (Homewood HS)
Abdullah was a running and receiving threat for Homewood High School and Coach Dickey Wright. Abdullah rushed for 1,800 yards and 24 touchdowns, while catching 33 passes for 515 yards as a senior. He also scored four touchdowns on punt returns to help Homewood to a 6-4 record.
Abdullah was named the South region player of the year by the Birmingham News. He scored the winning TD in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Classic, and was selected to participate in the Offense-Defense All-American bowl, where he starred as a defensive back.
As a junior, Abdullah rushed for more than 1,000 yards and had 24 catches for more than 200 yards. Rivals.com ranked him as one of the top 20 "athlete" prospects in the country and one of the top 10 players in Alabama. He was also ranked as one of the nation’s top 60 running backs by Scout.com. Abdullah chose Nebraska after also visiting Tennessee and Vanderbilt, and he had a host of offers including USC, Texas A&M and South Carolina.
Personal
Ameer is the son of Kareem and Aisha Abdullah, and he was born on June 13, 1993. Abdullah has volunteered time with at the Bryan LGH Kid’s Health and Safety Fair, Belmont Elementary School, Randolph Elementary, Madonna Rehabilitation Center, Nebraska Sportsmanship Rally, team hospital visits, the Belmont Rec Center, and the Uplifting Athletes Road Races. For his efforts in the community, Abdullah was named to both the 2014 Brook Berringer Citizenship Team and the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.
Abdullah was honored as a Nebraska Student-Athlete HERO Award winner in both 2012 and 2014. Abdullah is majoring in history, and he has been named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll four times, in addition to his selection to the 2013 Academic All-Big Ten team.
Abdullah's Career Statistics
|
Year |
G/S |
Att. |
Net |
Y/A |
Y/G |
Long |
TDs |
| 2011 | 13/0 | 42 | 150 | 3.6 | 11.5 | 24 at Wyoming | 3 |
| 2012 | 14/7 | 226 | 1,137 | 5.0 | 81.2 | 45 vs. Arkansas St. | 8 |
|
2013 |
13/13 |
281 |
1,690 |
6.0 |
130.0 |
62 vs. Wyoming |
9 |
|
2014 |
13/13 |
264 |
1,611 |
6.1 |
123.9 |
57 at Fresno St. |
19 |
|
Totals |
53/33 |
813 |
4,588 |
5.6 |
86.6 |
62 vs. Wyoming |
39 |
Receiving: Receiving: Career: 73 catches, 690 yards, 7 TDs, long of 58 vs. McNeese State (2014)
2014: 22 catches, 269 yards, 3 TDs, long of 58 vs. McNeese State
2013: 26 catches, 232 yards, 2 TDs, long of 40 vs. UCLA
2012: 24 catches, 178 yards, 2 TDs, long of 26 vs. Arkansas State
2011: 1 catch, 11 yards, 0 TDs, long of 11 at Wyoming
Kickoff Returns: Career: 61 ret. 1,592 yds, 1 TD, 26.1 avg, long of 100 vs. Fresno St. (2011)
2014: 14 returns, 392 yards, 28.0 avg., long of 76 vs. Rutgers
2013: 4 returns, 77 yards, 0 TDs, 19.2 average, long of 24 vs. Northwestern
2012: 17 returns, 360 yards, 0 TDs, 21.2 average, long of 83 vs. Wisconsin
2011: 26 returns, 763 yards, 1 TD, 29.3 average, long of 100 vs. Fresno State (TD)
Punt Returns: Career: 31 returns, 316 yards, 1 TD, 10.2 average, long of 81 vs. Idaho St. (2012)
2012: 16 returns, 209 yards, 1 TD, 13.1 average, long of 81 vs. Idaho State (TD)
2011: 15 returns, 106 yards, 0 TD, 7.1 average, long of 28 vs. Chattanooga
All-Purpose: Career: 7,186 yards, 978 attempts, 135.6 yds per game, 7.3 yds per attempt
2014: 2,272 yards, 300 attempts, 174.8 yards per game, 7.6 yards per attempt
2013: 1,999 yards, 311 attempts, 153.8 yards per game, 6.4 yards per attempt
2012: 1,884 yards, 283 attempts, 134.6 yards per game, 6.7 yards per attempt
2011: 1,031 yards, 84 attempts, 79.3 yards per game, 12.3 yards per attempt
Single-Game Highs
» Carries - 35 vs. Miami (2014)
» Rushing Yards - 232 vs. Florida Atlantic (2014)
» Receptions - 6 vs. USC, Holiday Bowl (2014)
» Receiving Yards - 96 vs. McNeese State (2014)
» Punt Return Yards - 80 vs. Idaho State (2012)
» Kickoff Return Yards - 211 vs. Fresno State (2011)*
» All-Purpose Yards - 341 vs. Rutgers (2014)*
» Touchdowns - 4 at Northwestern (2014)
* school record