Husker Football: Ameer Abdullah’s Five Steps to the Heisman

5. The Story

This is the basis for any Heisman hopeful. You have to have a background story. Something that publicists can sell. It just so happens that Abdullah has that and then some.

Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

The youngest of nine siblings, there is an understanding in his family that when you go to college, you do so to get a degree.

The young man also turned down his favorite school (Auburn) when it offered him a chance to play defensive back. He turned out to be pretty good at running back at Nebraska.

Between then-Husker running backs Braylon Heard, Aaron Green and Abdullah, the latter was seen as the odd man out by some of the Big Red faithful.

Fast forward to today and the former two have transferred while Abdullah could be the first Nebraska running back ever to notch three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. That and, let’s be honest, he’s the best player on the 2014 Husker football team.

Opponents may do their best to keep defensive end Randy Gregory out of the backfield, but they’ll sacrifice limbs to stop Nebraska’s prized running back.