Hakeem Abdul-Saboor, a former University of Virginia at Wise football player, earned a spot on Team USA’s 12-man Olympic Bobsled Team.
Abdul-Saboor grew up in Powhatan, Virginia, playing football and basketball and running track at Powhatan High School, according to his personal website. He was recruited to play running back out of high school and had a successful UVa.-Wise career. Abdul-Saboor ran for 2,234 yards and ranks fifth in program history with 31 rushing touchdowns.
He aspired to play football professionally but didn’t receive the chance. During his senior season, Abdul-Saboor tore his ACL, according to his website.
The injury motivated Abdul-Saboor to become a trainer emphasizing injury prevention in Knoxville, Tennessee. Then, a video that featured Abdul-Saboor jumping so high that his head made contact with the ceiling made rounds on the Internet and caught strength coach Brad DeWeese’s attention.
DeWeese, an assistant professor in the East Tennessee State's Department of Exercise and Sport Science who has experience training Olympic-bound athletes, first introduced Abdul-Saboor to bobsledding, according to an Instagram post. DeWeese invited Abdul-Saboor to compete in a Team USA bobsledding combine.
Abdul-Saboor most recently posted consecutive Top 20 finishes for pilot Nick Cunningham in the two- and four-man World Cup in Winterberg, Germany.
Abdul-Saboor is scheduled to compete in the same events in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
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“This journey has been crazy at times but also amazing and I just want to thank everyone for all of your help and support along the way,” Abdul-Saboor wrote on Instagram.
