04-25-2008, 07:24 PM
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Assistant Coach
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Palestinian Buckeye brings passion to gridiron
By Nick Meyer - The Arab American News
Friday, 04.25.2008
DEARBORN ? In the world of sports, a little motivation and determination often go a long way. With that in mind, it's easy to understand why Nader Abdallah has been such a success on the Ohio State Buckeyes football team.
After all, there might not be another football player in the country who has more fan support than Abdallah, who became a pioneer the first time he walked onto the football field as the only 100% Palestinian player to ever play Division-I college football.
As if the drive to represent his culture wasn't strong enough, Abdallah also plays for his family, not just those who root for him and watch every game he plays, but also for his two deceased brothers, who he lost at two separate points in his life.
The first brother, Husam, died in an accidental shooting when Abdallah was five. The second one, Shadi, died in a trucking accident just after the Ohio State spring game in 2005.
Finally, there's the drive Abdallah has to make a better life for him and the rest of his family. Growing up was anything but easy for the burly 6-foot-5, 297-pound defensive tackle, as his family lived in the infamously dangerous Magnolia projects of New Orleans.
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He came to Ohio State from Louisiana for the family atmosphere he felt the coaches had instilled there, and he was also surprised to find a respectable Arab population in and around Ohio.
While he's the only Arab on a team of mostly Caucasian and African-American players, he has carved out a niche as a leader and one of the most popular players on the team, even amongst guys who didn't know any Arabs before they met him.
"(My teammates) are like 'Wow, you know we never expected an Arab American to be like this.' Everybody tells me I'm one of the funniest people on the team. If you're having a bad day, come talk to me and I'll make you feel good," he said.
"I have a lot of common sense and street smarts and I've seen a lot of things happen in my life. I'm a real cool guy to get to know and I'm always trying to help people out. I feel like I'm a leader now heading into my senior season."
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He actually has a lot of friends in Dearborn and loves visiting the city because of its Arab culture.
"Guys in Columbus (Ohio), they're cool with some guys in Dearborn so I was able to network. I like to check out the nice little hookah bars and just chill out and mingle with fellow Arab Americans there," he said.
But while he enjoys heading up to Michigan to visit Dearborn, you won't find him talking up the city or the state to his teammates any time soon. He'd rather keep it a secret.
"I don't tell too many people about going to Dearborn, but I'm definitely not a Michigan fan. I'm an Ohio State fan all the way but I'm definitely not affiliated with Michigan."
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The Arab American News - Palestinian Buckeye brings passion to gridiron
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