A pair of former Cougar football players were in the news Thursday when Hamza and Husain Abdullah announced they would be taking a year off from playing in the NFL to make a pilgrimage to Mecca. The story comes from NFL.com:
The brothers -- both practicing Muslims -- will sit out the 2012 season to speak at mosques across the country this summer before making a pilgrimage to Mecca.
"It has been a blessing to play in the NFL for both Husain and I," Hamza said in a statement, "but we would be remiss if we didn't give thanks to the One who made it all possible."
Added Husain: "I visited Makkah, Saudi Arabia in March and a strong sense of urgency overcame me to attend 'Hajj' in October. I love the game of football but it would directly coincide with my pilgrimage. So, I'm taking some time off."
The brothers will attempt to return to the NFL as soon as late next season.
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Abdullah brothers pause NFL careers for Ramadan | ProFootballTalk
Hamza and Husain Abdullah have announced that they’ll be pausing their pro football careers to make a pilgrimage to Mecca during the 2012 NFL season, as part of their Islamic faith.