Ameer Abdullah Fantasy News and Statistics

The Nebraska Cornhuskers produced a total of 26 active players that have left Lincoln and made it into the NFL as of September 2016. But only two of those current players are running backs. One of them is Rex Burkhead, who plays for the New England Patriots. The other one is Detroit Lions rusher Ameer Abdullah, who is a 5-foot-9, 203-pound speedster with good lower-body strength and the ability to drive behind his pads while finishing his runs. He was drafted 54th overall by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft, and he’s looking to give the franchise a sound rushing attack in 2017.

It’s not often we see stars remain at their respective colleges for all four years anymore. Abdullah is one of the exceptions. He shined during his four seasons with the Huskers, averaging over 1,000 yards per season on the ground alone. Abdullah wasn’t your traditional running back in college, though. He was more of a three-headed threat, accumulating yardage via both the running and passing game as well as on special teams units. He finished with 7,086 all-purpose yards and 48 touchdowns in four seasons with the Huskers.

Some of the records Abdullah broke at the college level include most kickoff return yards in a game in school history with 211 during his freshman year; he also rushed for 100-plus yards in 11 of 13 games as a junior to become the fourth Nebraska player to hit the century mark 10 times in a season. He ended up averaging 130.7 yards from scrimmage per game that year, which ranked him seventh in the nation and second in the Big Ten.

After his junior year, Abdullah had contemplated entering the NFL Draft, but he later decided to return for his senior campaign with the Huskers. Being the most well-rounded back in the country, he gave the fans a show in his going-out party in Lincoln. Abdullah would run rampant for 200-plus yards against Florida Atlantic, Miami, Illinois and Rutgers, and he’d finish his senior campaign with 1,611 yards and 19 rushing touchdowns.

Abdullah’s only issues in college were his size and his troubles holding onto the pigskin at times. His NFL Combine numbers were fantastic, including his 42.5-inch vertical leap, which was stunning for such a short dude. The Lions saw a great fit and snagged him in the second round.

After a fantastic college career, Abdullah has had a less than stellar start to his pro career in the Motor City. He finished his rookie season with 780 total yards and three touchdowns. The 2016 campaign wasn’t kind to him, as he only managed to play in a few games before tearing a ligament in his left foot that put him on injured reserve. It forced him to miss the rest of the season. Hopefully 2017 will be better for him and the rest of the Lions running backs, as the coaching staff has high hopes for the team’s running game.