Ameer Abdullah was born almost 12 years after Muhammad Ali’s last fight, and the only appreciation and memories the Detroit Lions’ running back has of Ali’s greatness and extraordinary ring brilliance are shaped from the videos and highlights Abdullah has seen.
But aside from what Ali accomplished in his legendary career, what Ali did in and out of the ring that made him a historic world figure left as much a mark on Abdullah as the punches he landed on opponents that made him a three-time heavyweight champion.
Ali, who died over the weekend at the age of 74 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, converted to the Islam faith in the 1960s.