| Iowa State Cyclones – No. 24 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Running back |
| Class | Freshman |
| Major | Business |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 27, 2005[1] Des Moines, Iowa |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College | Iowa State (2023–present) |
| High school | Southeast Polk (Pleasant Hill, Iowa) |
| |
Abu Sama III (born May 27, 2005)[1] is an American football running back for the Iowa State Cyclones.
Early life and high school[edit]
Sama was born on May 27, 2005, in Des Moines, Iowa.[1][2] His father grew up in Sierra Leone while his mother was born in Liberia; both had near-death experiences during the First and Second Liberian Civil Wars.[1] He attended Southeast Polk High School in Pleasant Hill, Iowa, where he played football and ran track.[1] He won the state long jump championships in 2021 and 2022 and set the state long jump record.[3]
As a junior in football, Sama totaled 20 tackles while playing defense and on offense ran for 931 yards and 12 touchdowns as Southeast Polk won the state championship.[3][4] The following season, he ran for 1,408 yards and 28 touchdowns, averaging more than 10 yards per touch.[5] He concluded his high school career with 372 rushing yards and six touchdowns in the state title game, helping Southeast Polk win their second straight while setting state title game records in both statistical categories.[5] Sama was named the Des Moines Register Player of the Year,[6] the Gatorade Iowa Player of the Year,[7] first-team all-state and was chosen to play in the US Army Bowl.[3] Ranked a three-star recruit, he committed to play college football for the Iowa State Cyclones over other offers.[8]
College career[edit]
Sama saw immediate playing time as a true freshman at Iowa State in 2023; in 12 games, he totaled 84 rushes for 614 yards (a 7.3 average) and six touchdowns.[9][10] Against 19th-ranked Kansas State in his first start, he ran for 276 yards and three touchdowns in an upset win, which was the fourth-most in a single game in school history and the most ever by a freshman.[11][12][13] He was named the Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week and the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for his performance.[13]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e Birch, Tommy (April 26, 2023). "How Southeast Polk star Abu Sama was inspired by his parents' dangerous journey to the US". Des Moines Register. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ "Abu Sama III". ESPN.
- ^ a b c "Abu Sama III". Iowa State Cyclones.
- ^ Dubrof, Jeff (June 25, 2022). "Southeast Polk's Abu Sama commits to Iowa State". KCCI.
- ^ a b Goodwin, Cody (November 20, 2022). "Sama's all-time state title performance shows value of star players". Des Moines Register. p. B1, B4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Goodwin, Cody (December 4, 2022). "Southeast Polk's Abu Sama named All-Iowa Football Player of the Year". Des Moines Register.
- ^ "Abu Sama Named Iowa Gatorade Football Player of the Year". Southeast Polk Community School District. January 17, 2023.
- ^ "Abu Sama inks with Iowa State Cyclones; 3-star Southeast Polk (Iowa) RB/DB had late suitors". Sports Illustrated. December 21, 2022.
- ^ "Abu Sama College Stats". Sports Reference.
- ^ "Abu Sama 2023 Gamelog". Sports Reference. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ Olson, Eric (November 27, 2023). "Sama's 276-yard rushing night in 1st start for Iowa St. highlighted by long touchdowns". Associated Press.
- ^ "Recap: Abu Sama's historic game helps Iowa State beat Kansas State in Farmageddon". KCCI. November 25, 2023.
- ^ a b Dubrof, Jeff (November 27, 2023). "Abu Sama III earns conference honors after historic game". KCCI.