Detroit Lions: Can Ameer Abdullah Follow in Barry Sanders’ Footsteps?
By Maurice Mack
I know what many of you maybe thinking. Ameer Abdullah hasn’t played an official NFL snap in a regular-season game, and he’s being mentioned in the same conversation as Barry Sanders? During the 2015 NFL Draft, some fans wondered why Martin Mayhew and the Detroit Lions selected Abdullah with their second-round pick.
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My initial thought was, “What did The Detroit Lions see in Abdullah, to select him over who I thought, was the consensus pick, in Tevin Colmen?” For the record, I had the Lions selecting Tevin Coleman over Abdullah, just for the fact that Tevin Coleman is slightly more of a physical presence. One could only wonder, what made the Lions pull the trigger on Ameer Abdullah?
This statement may sound like a cliché however, allow me to explain…Talented, humble and rather reserved is how I’d describe Ameer Abdullah at all times. On the football field at Nebraska, he let his game do that talking.
During his 4-year career as a Nebraska Cornhusker, he amassed 4,588 rushing yards on 813 attempts (5.6 ypa), 39 rushing TDs, 73 receptions for 690 yards (9.5 avg), to go along with 7 receiving touchdowns. This type of collegiate production surely earned him the notoriety he received from NFL scouts and general managers.
Perhaps Martin Mayhew saw resembling the ability and character in Abdullah that helped earn Barry Sanders a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. When it comes to Abdullah, One can’t help but notice his intriguing, yet similar attributes to Sanders that deserve sort of some mention. I have seen as lethal of a first step from any running back, since Barry. Let’s give Abdullah an eye-ball test.His balance, elusiveness, and rare combination of explosiveness (speed) and acceleration, allows him to stop, cut and accelerate on a dime. Good look tackling this guy in open space.
Dec 27, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Ameer Abdullah (8) is defended by USC Trojans linebacker Anthony Sarao (56) and linebacker Hayes Pullard (10) during the second quarter in the 2014 Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
After attending Lions training camp practice on Saturday Ameer Abdullah appeared to me to be like a frog, leaping from one lilypad to another. At least that was my observation and conclusions from watching the Lions defense attempt to tackle him on numerous counters and runs between the tackles.
Just taking a look at the pick, I believe that the Lions made the right selection by drafting Ameer Abdullah. This conclusion was clearly solidified after seeing Abdullah in action. Like Sanders, Abdullah has exceptional ability to make defenders miss in space.
Ameer Abdullah shares some phenomenal traits that made Barry Sanders such a phenomenal running back. Like Barry, Ameer is lower in stature, but strong and fast enough to stop, cut, and accelerate in multiple directions. It also helps that the 5’9″ running back is very good running between the tackles, thus making it difficult to spot him behind the offensive line, and even more difficult to tackle him in open space.
Consider this quote from Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, via the Detroit Free Press:
"We can’t even tackle that guy. We can’t even touch him. He’s like grasping at air."
So you can see why some of the Barry Sanders comparisons meet the eye test. With respect to doing these thing in an actual game, like Hall Of Fame running back, Barry Sanders has done, Ameer Abdullah has been nothing less than impressive during rookie minicamp, and thus far in Training Camp.
Just taking a look at the pick, I believe that the Lions made the right selection by drafting Ameer Abdullah. This conclusion was clearly solidified after seeing Abdullah in action.
Over the last three months, he’s shown to be as good catching the ball out of the backfield as he has been carrying it. So far, Abdullah has shown significant strides throughout practice, picking up pass-protections, and learning the playbook. He appears to have a good grasp of the offensive scheme. All of which suggest that his ability as a runner and pass-catcher will translate into positive contributions during the season.
Next: Can Abdullah Finish What Best Started?