{{Short description|American football player (born 1985)}} {{Distinguish|Abdullah Hussein (disambiguation)|Husain Ali}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Husain Abdullah | image = Husain Abdullah signs autographs 140709-F-DB574-050.JPG | caption = Abdullah in 2014 | number = 39 | position = Safety | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1985|7|27}} | birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 0 | weight_lbs = 204 | high_school = Pomona (Pomona, California) | college = Washington State (2003–2007) | undraftedyear = 2008 | pastteams = * Minnesota Vikings ({{NFL Year|2008}}–{{NFL Year|2011}}) * Kansas City Chiefs ({{NFL Year|2013}}–{{NFL Year|2015}}) | statlabel1 = Total tackles | statvalue1 = 288 | statlabel2 = Sacks | statvalue2 = 2.5 | statlabel3 = Forced recoveries | statvalue3 = 1 | statlabel4 = Pass deflections | statvalue4 = 26 | statlabel5 = Interceptions | statvalue5 = 6 | statlabel6 = Defensive touchdowns | statvalue6 = 2 | pfr = AbduHu99 }} '''Husain Ibn Muhammed Abdullah''' (born July 27, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL) as an undrafted free agent in 2008 and also played for the Kansas City Chiefs. He retired from the NFL after seven seasons due to multiple concussions sustained during his career and concern for his future health. Abdullah played college football for the Washington State Cougars. He is the younger brother of former NFL safety Hamza Abdullah.
==Early life== Abdullah attended Pomona High School<ref>{{Cite web |title=Husain Abdullah |url=http://www.wsucougars.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/abdullah_husain00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722033524/http://www.wsucougars.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/abdullah_husain00.html |archive-date=July 22, 2012 |access-date=December 3, 2012 |publisher=Washington State Cougars}}</ref> and was most well known for his athletics. In high school, he received many honorable awards as he represented his school football team as captain. Abdullah is a defensive back and a contributor to the special teams unit as a kick returner. During Abdullah's sophomore year, he was awarded the team's defensive MVP and was nominated as rookie of the year. During his junior year, Abdullah won the All-Inland Valley award and as a senior, and stood as the number 9 ranked safety in the west coast.
==Professional career== {{NFL predraft | height ft = 5 | height in = 11 7/8 | weight = 204 | dash = 4.63 | ten split = 1.56 | twenty split = 2.63 | shuttle = 4.12 | cone drill = 7.07 | vertical = 32.5 | broad ft = 9 | broad in = 7 | bench = 16 | arm span = 31 3/4 | hand span = 9 1/4 | note = All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/husain-abdullah/32004142-4466-0476-f505-0cb007da0036 |title=Husain Abdullah NFL Combine and Draft Prospects |website=NFL.com |access-date=May 27, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=16635&DraftYear=2008 |title=Husain Abdullah College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=May 27, 2026}}</ref> }} ===Minnesota Vikings=== [[File:Husain Abdullah (2008).jpg|thumb|left|Husain Abdullah intercepting a ball, during his time with the Minnesota Vikings in 2008]] Abdullah was an undrafted rookie who later signed with the Minnesota Vikings. He served as a backup from 2008 to 2009. Before the 2010 season he was named the starting strong safety. The competition in the offseason and preseason was thought to be between Tyrell Johnson and Jamarca Sanford, but Abdullah won the job. During the 2011 season, Abdullah became the starting free safety, but a concussion (his fourth in 15 months) ended his season.<ref name="returns">{{Cite news |last=Pelissero |first=Tom |date=August 25, 2013 |title=Back from pilgrimage, Husain Abdullah playing for others |work=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/chiefs/2013/08/25/husain-abdullah-pilgrimage-returns-to-chiefs/2694181/ |access-date=September 30, 2014}}</ref>
===Kansas City Chiefs=== After he returned from a year off, Abdullah accepted a one-year contract offer from the Chiefs,<ref name=returns/> and played in all 16 games (starting 2) of the 2013 season; he also started the Chiefs' playoff game against Indianapolis, making 2 interceptions in that game to tie a team playoff record.
An unrestricted free agent after the season, Abdullah re-signed with the Chiefs on March 12, 2014. During a Monday Night Football game on September 29, 2014, against the New England Patriots, Abdullah intercepted a pass, returning it for a touchdown. He was given a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for sliding on his knees, then bowing down and giving praise in Islamic prostration.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Strauss |first=Chris |date=September 29, 2014 |title=Chiefs safety Husain Abdullah penalized for post-touchdown prayer |work=USA Today |url=http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/09/husain-abdullah-penalty-prayer-celebration}}</ref> The next day, the NFL said the penalty was a misapplication of the relevant rule, and should not have been assessed.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Palmer |first=Tod |date=September 30, 2014 |title=NFL says Chiefs' Husain Abdullah shouldn't have been penalized for slide, prayer in end zone |work=Kansas City Star |url=http://www.kansascity.com/sports/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/article2324330.html |url-status=live |access-date=September 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141001011806/http://www.kansascity.com/sports/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/article2324330.html |archive-date=October 1, 2014}}</ref> The penalty created much controversy on social media, including beyond America.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Werder |first=Ed |date=September 30, 2014 |title=NFL: Penalty on Chiefs S for prayer wrong |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/11616422/nfl-says-husain-abdullah-kansas-city-chiefs-penalized-praying-celebration |access-date=September 20, 2023 |website=ESPN.com |language=en |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>
===Retirement=== Abdullah retired from football on March 28, 2016, citing concern over the five concussions he had accumulated during his career.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Teicher |first=Adam |date=March 28, 2016 |title=FS Abdullah retires, citing concussion history |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/15082468/husain-abdullah-announces-retirement-instagram-health-top-reason |access-date=September 20, 2023 |website=ESPN.com |language=en |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> He later explained the decision further in an essay submitted to ''The Players Tribune''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Abdullah |first=Husain |date=April 18, 2016 |title=The Right Decision |work=The Players' Tribune |url=http://www.theplayerstribune.com/husain-abdullah-chiefs-retirement-concussions/ |access-date=July 24, 2016}}</ref>
==NFL career statistics== {| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" ! colspan="2"| Legend |- | '''Bold''' | Career high |}
===Regular season=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- !rowspan="2"| Year !rowspan="2"| Team !colspan="2"| Games !colspan="5"| Tackles !colspan="5"| Interceptions !colspan="4"| 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 |- ! colspan="2"| Career !! 97 !! 46 !! 288 !! 231 !! 57 !! 2.5 !! 12 !! 6 !! 120 !! 2 !! 44 !! 26 !! 0 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 |}
===Playoffs=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- !rowspan="2"| Year !rowspan="2"| Team !colspan="2"| Games !colspan="5"| Tackles !colspan="5"| Interceptions !colspan="4"| 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 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- ! 2013 !! KAN | 1 || '''1''' || '''6''' || '''6''' || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || '''2''' || '''5''' || 0 || '''4''' || '''2''' || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- ! 2015 !! KAN | '''2''' || 0 || 4 || 1 || '''3''' || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || '''2''' || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- ! colspan="2"| Career !! 6 !! 1 !! 14 !! 11 !! 3 !! 0.0 !! 0 !! 2 !! 5 !! 0 !! 4 !! 4 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 |}
==Personal life== Abdullah is the son to Yusuf and Sa'eeda Johnwell.<ref>{{Cite web |title=23 Husain Abdullah |url=http://www.wsucougars.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=30400&ATCLID=208261173 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141002223359/http://www.wsucougars.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=30400&ATCLID=208261173 |archive-date=October 2, 2014 |access-date=September 30, 2014 |publisher=Washington State Cougars}}</ref> He lived in a very large family, one of 12 children. As a practicing Muslim, Abdullah observes fasting in Ramadan—even during the football season.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Campbell |first=Dave |date=September 10, 2010 |title=Husain Abdullah's Ramadan Fasting Means No Water For 30 Days |work=Huffington Post |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/10/husain-abdullah-ramadan-f_n_712319.html |url-status=live |access-date=December 29, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100913075639/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/10/husain-abdullah-ramadan-f_n_712319.html |archive-date=September 13, 2010}}</ref> He sat out the 2012 season to make Hajj to Mecca with his brother Hamza Abdullah, who was also in the NFL.<ref name=returns/> He is a member of the Alpha Lambda Mu fraternity, America's first and only Muslim fraternity.
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== {{Commons}} *{{NFL.com player}} *[http://www.kcchiefs.com/team/roster/Husain-Abdullah/1f1b85e6-83e4-4745-bfed-c39ba7713858 Kansas City Chiefs bio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141004145541/http://www.kcchiefs.com/team/roster/husain-abdullah/1f1b85e6-83e4-4745-bfed-c39ba7713858/ |date=October 4, 2014 }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abdullah, Husain}} Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:Players of American football from Pomona, California Category:Minnesota Vikings players Category:Washington State Cougars football players Category:African-American Muslims Category:Kansas City Chiefs players Category:American football safeties Category:Muslims from California