Huskers' Abdullah coming up big as return man

LINCOLN, Neb. — Hanging in Nebraska freshman Ameer Abdullah's bedroom is a sign reading, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."

The quote is credited to Mark Twain, but Abdullah first heard it from Darren Sproles of the New Orleans Saints.

The diminutive return specialists formed a kinship as occasional offseason workout partners in Birmingham, Ala., and Sproles' credo is now Abdullah's.

"Sproles is 5-6, 195 — not a big guy — but his work ethic is bigger than his stature," Abdullah said. "I put that over my bed. I look at it every day to keep me motivated."

Abdullah, who stands 5-9 and is generously listed at 180 pounds, was largely overlooked on the recruiting scene until he was a high school senior in the Birmingham suburb of Homewood.

He came to Nebraska as the least heralded of the three running backs in the 2011 recruiting class but surely has a higher Q rating than Braylon Heard and Aaron Green this week after returning a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to break open a 42-29 win over Fresno State.

"He was a huge weapon for us," coach Bo Pelini said, "and will continue to be."

Heading into Saturday's game against Washington, Abdullah is second nationally in kick returns with a 42-yard average. Take away his 100-yarder, and that number would still be an impressive 28 yards. His 16.8-yard punt return average ranks 13th.

You could call Abdullah a recruiting steal, but Nebraska didn't exactly have to pry him out of SEC country.

Alabama didn't offer him a scholarship. Auburn, the team he rooted for since he was 6, made offers early and late in the process but didn't initially project him as a running back.

Nebraska offensive coordinator Tim Beck approached Abdullah because it was 50-50 that Heard would qualify academically and the Huskers needed to hedge their bet. Abdullah visited Lincoln on a mid-January weekend, experienced snow and bitter cold for the first time — and enthusiastically accepted Pelini's scholarship offer two days after he returned home.

"I came up and saw the place, fell in love with it and have been enjoying it since then," Abdullah said. "Nebraska, the atmosphere and tradition that comes with it, you can't top it."

Abdullah arrived on campus in June and became roommates with Heard and Green. They are more friends than rivals.

"We're silly guys," he said. "I love those guys. They're just like my brothers."

Abdullah, who runs a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, was all business during summer workouts and went into preseason practice willing to do anything to get on the field. He won the battle for the kick return job four days before the opener against Chattanooga and is listed as a co-No. 2 I-back behind Rex Burkhead.

"He's a very humble kid," Burkhead said. "He came in just eager to learn. That's the biggest thing. He didn't come in thinking he was the big man on campus at all."

Why would he?

Abdullah wouldn't have a sense of entitlement in any circumstance, said his personal trainer and mentor, former NFL defensive end Otis Leverette.

"He willed it to happen from the beginning," Leverette said. "I go for kids who work the hardest. Some (recruiters) like more height, and you have to be on Rivals Top 100 or everyone has to know your name. Evidently Bo Pelini was looking for a football player.

"That's Ameer Abdullah's story. He wasn't a kid who had 4 or 5 stars, so a lot of folks tended to overlook him. Rivals, Scout and other recruiting services can't judge what I saw up front. That's a kid with heart, confidence and a will to be the best."

Abdullah first showed up at Leverette's training facility between his freshman and sophomore years in high school. He was 5-6 and about 140 pounds, Leverette said, and he compensated for his lack of size with his determination.

Leverette's charges do standard speed, agility and conditioning drills and unconventional strength-building exercises such as pushing cars and lugging around 50-pound cinder blocks. Abdullah would go through 2½-hour workouts four times a week in addition to football practices at school.

Leverette called Abdullah a "refuse-to-lose" kid who is "scared of nothing."

"In the summers I'd take him around to camps, and you would have to pry him off the field," Leverette said.

Burkhead sees that kid every day in practice.

"That's what I love about him," he said. "He comes to work every day and we have some great competitions in practices or workouts or whatever it is. He's a fun guy to be around. I'm very blessed to have him in the backfield with me."

Leverette invited Sproles to work out at his facility this past offseason, and Abdullah said the pro offered him advice on returning kicks. Sproles -- who was spectacular in piling up 168 return yards and a touchdown in the Saints' loss to Green Bay last week -- also reinforced Abdullah's relentless attitude with those words by Twain.

"He crafted my game, and I appreciate it," Abdullah said.