Husain Abdullah
Husain Abdullah | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 27, 1985 |
| Occupation | Former professional American football player |
| Years active | 2008–2015 |
| Known for | Safety in the National Football League (NFL) |
Husain Ibn Muhammed Abdullah (born July 27, 1985) is a retired professional safety who played American football in the National Football League (NFL). He entered the league in 2008 as an undrafted free agent with the Minnesota Vikings and later joined the Kansas City Chiefs. After seven seasons in the NFL, Abdullah decided to retire due to multiple concussions and concerns regarding his future health. He played collegiate football for the Washington State Cougars and is the younger sibling of former NFL safety Hamza Abdullah.
Early life
Abdullah attended Pomona High School, where he demonstrated notable athletic talent and held the position of football team captain. Primarily positioned as a defensive back and special teams kick returner, he received several accolades such as defensive MVP during his sophomore year and All-Inland Valley honors in his junior year. By his senior season, he was ranked as the ninth-best safety on the West Coast.
Minnesota Vikings
Undrafted, Abdullah signed with the Minnesota Vikings and played as a backup from 2008 through 2009. Prior to the 2010 campaign, he earned the starting role at strong safety, surpassing competitors Tyrell Johnson and Jamarca Sanford. In 2011, he transitioned to starting free safety but suffered a concussion—the fourth within fifteen months—that prematurely ended his season.
Kansas City Chiefs
Following a year away from football, Abdullah inked a one-year deal with the Chiefs and participated in all sixteen games during the 2013 season, starting twice. In the playoff matchup against the Indianapolis, he tied a team postseason record by intercepting two passes.
As an unrestricted free agent, Abdullah re-signed with Kansas City on March 12, 2014. On September 29, in a Monday Night Football contest facing the New England Patriots, he intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown. Subsequently, he was penalized fifteen yards for sliding on his knees before performing an Islamic prostration prayer. The NFL later determined this penalty was incorrectly applied and should not have been enforced. The incident generated widespread discussion on social media platforms worldwide.
Retirement
On March 28, 2016, Abdullah announced his retirement from professional football, citing concerns stemming from five concussions sustained over his career. He elaborated on his reasons in an essay published on The Players Tribune.
NFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2008 | MIN | 16 | 0 | 20 | 14 | 6 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | MIN | 14 | 0 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | MIN | 15 | 15 | 75 | 54 | 21 | 0.0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | MIN | 9 | 9 | 49 | 44 | 5 | 1.0 | 3 | 1 | 32 | 0 | 32 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | KAN | 16 | 2 | 27 | 22 | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 44 | 1 | 44 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | KAN | 16 | 16 | 71 | 58 | 13 | 0.0 | 2 | 1 | 39 | 1 | 39 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | KAN | 11 | 4 | 29 | 24 | 5 | 0.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 97 | 46 | 288 | 231 | 57 | 2.5 | 12 | 6 | 120 | 2 | 44 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2008 | MIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | MIN | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| 2013 | KAN | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | ||||||||
| 2015 | KAN | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Career | 6 | 1 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | |||||||||
Personal life
Abdullah is one of twelve children born to Yusuf and Sa'eeda Johnwell. As a devoted Muslim, he observes fasting during the month of Ramadan, even while competing in the football season. He chose to forgo the 2012–2013 season to undertake the pilgrimage of Hajj to Mecca alongside his brother, fellow NFL athlete Hamza Abdullah. Additionally, Abdullah holds membership in Alpha Lambda Mu, recognized as the first and only Muslim fraternity in the United States.