T
he Jacksonville Jaguars are riding high. Falling behind in the final seconds of their Week 5 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, they came back and won 19-17 thanks to a last second game-winning field goal from kicker Cam Little. The Jaguars are now 4-1 and have a massive momentum boost ahead of their Week 6 game against the Houston Texans.
But Little’s heroics would not have been possible without running back/return specialist Ameer Abdullah. Abdullah fielded the kickoff after the Eagles took the lead, and returned it 53 yards. His return immediately put the Jaguars in field goal range. Abdullah credits the Jaguars’ special teams staff for the play call that led to his return, while describing the play as ‘euphoric.’
Abdullah calls kickoff ‘euphoric’
He was waiting for the opportunity to make a play like that and when he finally got the chance, he made sure to seize it. Abdullah spoke to reporters after the win and explained the play call, while also talking about how he felt in the moment.
“We had an ‘alley return’ called,” Abdullah told reporters. “It was euphoric and like a dream. I could (see the clock). Selfishly, I wanted to go score and be the big hero but knowing we had Cam, I thought, ‘Just get close.'”
Abdullah has nine returns for 264 yards so far this season, averaging 29.3 yards per return. His return against the Eagles was his longest of the season and fourth longest of his career. The Jaguars will look to build off of their win against the Eagles when they face the Texans at Wembley Stadium. Kickoff for the Week 6 game is at 9:30 a.m. (ET) with it airing live on NFL Network.
Abdullah’s Career So Far
Abdullah was a standout player at Nebraska from 2011-2014, finishing with 7,086 career all-purpose yards. A two-time second-team All-Big Ten selection and first-team selection in 2013, he was drafted in the second round (No. 54 overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He enjoyed a successful rookie season, registering 143 carries for 597 yards and two touchdowns and leading the NFL in kickoff return yards with 1,077.
Abdullah played for the Lions from 2015 until midway through the 2018 season, when he was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Vikings. Playing in Minnesota from 2018-2021, he then joined the Carolina Panthers for the rest of 2021 followed by a two season stint with the Las Vegas Raiders from 2022-2024. He spent last season with the Indianapolis Colts before joining the Jaguars as a free agent this past offseason.
In total for his career, he has registered 518 carries for 2,099 yards, nine touchdowns while totaling over 4,600 kick return yards. His rookie year was his most productive.
Jaguars Running Back Describes ‘Euphoric’ Feeling of Big Week 5 Kick Return