Abdullah Looking to Make "Strides" in Indy

Mavric

Mavric

Yoda
Staff member
Working out at the Michael Johnson Performance facility in Dallas, the former Husker has been dutifully educating himself in any way that could make him run 40 yards a few hundredths of a second faster when he tests at the NFL Combine on Saturday.


“Running is violence,” Abdullah said in a phone interview last week. “Running is not a passive movement at all. When you’re running, you need to be violent. You’re putting a lot of effort into a lot of areas that you don’t necessarily feel like you should put effort into. Frequency of arm movement, making sure that you’re driving your knee as violently as possible.

"A lot of times, people are just trying to get down as many steps as they can. It makes you feel like you’re running fast, but most of the time that’s not when you see your best times.”

Running fast is about something else, he’s learned. Running fast is about patience.

At first it sounds contradictory, but just as Abdullah has seen patience produce breakout runs on a football field, he’s also seen how it can improve a testing time.

“You want to make sure you get through every step as full as possible, and get to every level of extension that you can in your leg. That’s just being patient with each stride you take,” Abdullah said. “Don’t be in such a rush to get to the next stride. Get all you can out of each stride.”
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LJS

 
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Well.......as they say, talk is cheap. Only one way to prove this theory. Walk the walk....or run the run in this case. I guess his time is gonna show whether he should be preaching about running fast or not.

 
What do you think Ameer will run the 40 at the combine? Rivals listed him at 4.51 as a recruit. LINK

It's electronic timing, so the times will be slower. Still, I'm guessing his time might be a step or two faster than that listed four years ago. I'd guess around 4.45. I don't think he's the fastest on the team. Not in the 40, anyway. But his acceleration the first few steps rivals a healthy Martinez. And he is nearly as shifty as DPE.

 
4.55.......somewhere in there. I don't think Abdullah is is top end fast. He starts quick, but he doesn't run away from a lot of guys.

For the record, I think Martinez accelerates about as fast as anyone I've ever seen. Just from my eyes, I'd say much faster than Ameer. Also, he clearly smokes Ameer on the top end. Taylor was probably a mid 4.3 forty in his hayday.

DPE is more shifty than Ameer. Abdullah's got great elusiveness, but he was more powerful than anything. He didn't always completely juke guys out of their shoes, he juked them enough, then ran straight through their arm tackles. DPE jukes you out of the socks you were gonna wear tomorrow.

 
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If he's sub 4.5 I think he's a late first rounder for sure.. This is his only knock top end speed..

 
TITANIC VS LUSITANIA said:
Warrior said:
If he's sub 4.5 I think he's a late first rounder for sure.. This is his only knock top end speed..
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Pass protection...
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From everything I've read, this is the only knock I've heard. I don't think most NFL teams will bat an eye at his 40 time unless it comes in the 4.6+ range. There's not a lot of NFL RB's with outstanding top end speed. His size will keep him from being drafted as an every down back, but there are very few teams who utilize RB's in this manner.

 
He really made strides this past year on increasing his speed. There were a few runs that he made this year that went for TDs where he would have been tackled the previous year.

 
I don't think he has quite the top end to turn in a great time. I hope he's in the high 4.5s - I'll say 4.58. But I won't be shocked if it's 4.63ish.

 
junior4949 said:
TITANIC VS LUSITANIA said:
Warrior said:
If he's sub 4.5 I think he's a late first rounder for sure.. This is his only knock top end speed..
Click to expand...
Pass protection...
Click to expand...
From everything I've read, this is the only knock I've heard. I don't think most NFL teams will bat an eye at his 40 time unless it comes in the 4.6+ range. There's not a lot of NFL RB's with outstanding top end speed. His size will keep him from being drafted as an every down back, but there are very few teams who utilize RB's in this manner.
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He's improved in that area as an outlet receiver.. Every down backs don't exist in the NFL anymore.. I Think we agree he's a first round talent even if not taken there..

 
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