Nebraska Football Alum Ameer Abdullah Posts Career Day for Las Vegas Raiders

Although Abdullah did finish shy of adding a touchdown in the contest, the running back did come close to crossing the goal line in the second quarter, adding an emphatic celebration before a review that ruled him down at the one-yard line after a 13-yard reception. The 31-year old back nearly outdid his season production in one contest, having 196 rushing yards entering the contest.

"Honestly, we were just beating them up upfront," Abdullah said in his postgame comments. "I feel like our guys leaned on them, they understood when to come off on double teams. And when you have that type of synergy with the O-line and the backs, we just do our job. We felt like the O-line had an advantage."

The Raiders have had a lackluster season, sitting in the cellar of the AFC West now at 4-12 and are projected for the eighth overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft in April. Abdullah, however, still viewed the win as a building block for success moving forward for the franchise.

"This is probably one of the closest teams I've been on," Abdullah said. "From just a relationship standpoint, we really care about each other. We've been through some lows, so we've seen each other at very vulnerable moments. We know how hard each one of us works to be in this situation. I know those guys are happy for me and I'm just proud to call myself a Raider and to share the locker room with these guys."

Abdullah has played for four NFL franchises since entering the league in 2015 as a second-round draft pick by the Detroit Lions. After a four-year stint with the Lions, Abdullah was moved to the Minnesota Vikings in 2018 until 2021 where he joined the Matt Rhule's Carolina Panthers in 2021. Abdullah finished the final 11 games of that season with Rhule, rushing for 136 yards on 44 carries for the Panthers.

After Rhule was let go by Carolina in 2022 and then hired by Nebraska, Abdullah's name has reappeared as a voice for praise for the head coach.

"I know you guys are just as excited as I am to watch Coach Matt Rhule to Lincoln, Nebraska," Abdullah said in a social media clip aimed at Husker fans back in early December of 2022. "Now I spent a shorter extent with him with my time with the Carolina Panthers. Not only are we getting an excellent, excellent football coach. We're getting an even better human being, someone who is going to lead the program the right way, someone who is going to lead it the Nebraska way."

Rhule had been complimentary of Abdullah from the start of his Nebraska tenure, saying that he was "1,000 percent" a better coach for his time in Carolina - espcially working with the former Husker running back.

"Dealing with the professional athlete was probably the best. Having a conversation with Ameer Abdullah and Christian McCaffrey, they are two guys, in the same position but completely different people," Rhule said at his introductory press conference for Nebraska football. "It really taught me, it's not coach-player, it's people-people. We all have different roles, but we are all just people. I think that interaction with the players really taught me."

Since 2022, Abdullah has been a rotating backfield option and special teams' asset for the Raiders, recording 50 games played for the Silver and Black. Former teammates, including Will Compton - a Nebraska and Raiders teammate during Abdullah's stops at both locations - noted the back's performance from Sunday afternoon.

Abdullah was a significant offensive threat for Nebraska during his four-year career in Lincoln. He ended his tenure as Husker with 4,588 rushing yards, 39 rushing touchdowns, and added 690 receiving yards with seven scores. Early in his career at Nebraska, Abdullah was a lethal return man, adding a punt return and kick return score. Abdullah ended his Husker career as the second all-time leading rusher in the school's history, falling 192 yards shy of Mike Rozier's 4,780 yards.

Abdullah's Nebraska career-best included four 200-rushing yard performances, including a high of 232 rushing yards against Florida Atlantic to start the 2014 season.

Abdullah will wrap up his 10th season in the NFL on Sunday, Jan. 5 with a home game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

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