• Has taken a leading role on Vikings Social Justice Committee, especially following the events of May and June 2020 in Minneapolis that brought worldwide attention to the topic.
• Scored career-high 2 receiving TDs in 2020, both against his former Lions club.
• In collaboration with Project Success, traveled with Vikings teammates and Twin Cities-area students to Washington, D.C., to tour the National Museum of African American History and Culture. He also visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum during the 2019 offseason.
• After being contacted by Dearborn, Mich., students on social media, Abdullah personally assisted local youth groups with ongoing water donation drives for the residents of Flint, Mich., over two years. Impressed by the students' hand-written thank-you notes, Abdullah cited the students' ability to use social media for the greater good as what drew him to the group.
• The youngest of 9 siblings, all of whom have earned college degrees. He has 2 brothers and 6 sisters who have gone on to be lawyers, TV producers, bank managers and business owners.
• Graduated from Nebraska with a degree in history, which he completed in 3-and-a-half years. Earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2013 and 2014.
• NFC Special Teams Player of the Week at Green Bay (11/15/15).
• Voted by his Lions teammates as the Mel Farr Rookie of the Year Award recipient in 2015.
• Signed with Minnesota on 3/18/19.
• Claimed by Minnesota via waivers on 11/7/18.
• Waived by Detroit on 11/6/18.
• Placed on Reserve/Injured list on 9/21/16 with a foot injury.
• Originally selected by the Detroit Lions in the 2nd Round (#54 overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft.
• Had career-best 2 receiving TDs on the season, both coming against his former Detroit team: a career-long 22-yard TD catch vs. Detroit (11/8) and a 4-yarder at Detroit (1/3), both thrown by Kirk Cousins.
• Led team in KO returns with a 23.5 average and a long of 33. Ended season with 352 yards on 15 returns.
• Had season-best 107 yards on 4 KORs at Detroit (1/3), including a season-long 33-yarder.
• Had 3 carries for 11 yards and 2 catches for 10 yards at Tampa Bay (12/13) against the eventual Super Bowl champs.
• Recorded 5 KO returns for 148 yards at San Francisco (1/11/20), the 2nd-highest kickoff return yardage total of his career.
• Made his NFL playoff debut in the Wild Card win at New Orleans (1/5/20).
• Served as Minnesota's primary kickoff returner in 2019, recording 13 returns for 325 yards (25.0 avg.) with a long of 38.
• Set a career high with 7 special teams tackles in 2019.
• Notched a season-high 27 rushing yards on 4 carries vs. Green Bay (12/23) while catching a career-high 6 passes for 31 yards.
• Had season-high 5 carries for 25 yards at LA Chargers (12/15).
• Caught a 16-yard TD pass from Kirk Cousins in the 3rd quarter at Kansas City (11/3), his 1st TD as a Minnesota Viking.
• Posted the team's longest kick return of the season at Detroit (10/20) by going 38 yards on his 2nd kick return of the game. The 38-yard run-back was the 2nd-longest of his career.
2018: MINNESOTA VIKINGS/DETROIT LIONS
• Served as Minnesota's primary kick returner for the final 7 games of the season after beginning the year with Detroit.
• Had 2 KOR for 52 yards and notched 1 special teams tackle at Detroit (12/23) in his 1st meeting with his former team.
• Made his Vikings debut at Chicago (11/18), catching 1 pass for 10 yards and returning 2 kickoffs for 57 yards.
• Claimed by Minnesota on 11/7/18.
• Waived by Detroit on 11/6/18.
• Played in 3 games for Detroit to start the 2018 season.
• Set career highs with 165 carries and 4 rushing TDs.
• Inactive in Weeks 13-14.
• Rushed for a career-high 94 yards and 1 TD on 20 attempts in Week 4 at Minnesota (10/1).
• Placed on Injured Reserve (foot) on 9/21.
• Rushed 6 times for 38 yards in Week 2 (9/18) vs. Tennessee before a 2nd quarter injury sidelined him.
• Led the ground attack for Detroit in Week 1 at Indianapolis (9/11) with 63 rushing yards on 12 carries. Hauled in 5 receptions for 57 yards and 1 touchdown in the victory.
• Contributed both on offense and special teams as a return man in his 1st NFL season.
• Finished his debut season with a career-high 597 rushing yards. As a return man, posted career highs with 37 kickoff returns for 1,077 yards.
• With 115 all-purpose yards (44 rushing, 7 receiving, 64 kickoff return) in Week 17 at Chicago, Abdullah became the 3rd rookie in team history with 1,800+ all-purpose yards (RB Billy Sims, 1,907 in 1980; RB Barry Sanders, 1,870 in 1989). His total of 1,857 is the 3rd-most by a rookie in franchise history. In total, he gained 780 yards from scrimmage (597 rushing, 183 receiving) and 1,077 on kickoff returns.
• With 117 all-purpose yards in the Lions' 32-17 win over San Francisco (12/27), Abdullah became the 3rd Lions rookie to reach 1,700+ all-purpose yards.
• Returned 2 kickoffs for 134 yards at Green Bay (11/15), including a 104-yard return, which tied an NFL record for the longest non-scoring play.
• Returned 6 kickoffs for 151 yards, which are both career-highs, in Week 8 at Kansas City in London (11/1).
• Notched his 1st NFL receiving TD vs. Denver (9/27).
• Had 94 total yards from scrimmage in his NFL debut at San Diego (9/13), the 3rd-most by a Lions rookie in Week 1 since 1960, and he scored his 1st NFL TD on a 24-yard rush.
• Ended his collegiate career at Nebraska as the only player to record 3 consecutive seasons with 1,000+ rushing yards (1,137 in 2012; 1,690 in 2013; 1,611 in 2014).
• Started in all 53 games he played and concluded his 4-year career with 813 carries, 4,744 yards and 29 TDs, as well as 73 receptions for 690 yards and 7 TDs as a receiver.
• As a return man, his career included 61 KO returns for 1,592 yards and 1 TD, and 31 punt returns for 316 yards and 1 TD.
• Totaled 7,186 all-purpose yards on 978 attempts in 53 games (135.6 yards per game).
• As a senior was named a 2014 2nd-Team All-American (Walter Camp, CBS, Scout, Athlon, Associated Press, Sports Illustrated), 2014 Doak Walker Finalist and 2014 2nd-Team All-Big Ten.
• Named a 2013 1st Team All-Big Ten and 3rd Team All-American by Associated Press as a junior and earned 2nd Team All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore.
• As a senior at Homewood (AL) High, rushed for 1,800 yards while adding 515 yards receiving and 4 punt return TDs. Named the 2010 Alabama South Region Player of the Year.
• Participated in track and field, competing as a sprinter and long jumper.
