Training Week 1

Peace and blessings to All. This is Hamza Abdullah checking in. I had so much fun blogging during our “Ramadan” Tour, that I decided to keep it going. We decided to blog once a week, and alternate authors. So God willing, I’ll do this week, and Husain will do next week. You may even get a guest appearance by Abbas, so stay tuned. We figured Tuesday would be a good day to release the blog, because it is the off day in the NFL. And God willing, when we return, we will still be able to keep up the blog. In this blog we will keep you up to date on our training, speaking engagements, and other things we have going on. We will try and give you a peek inside our regimen to get ready for our Hajj pilgrimage. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but this is even tougher than I imagined. The first week of training had me calling on an old friend of everyones. Uncle Earl. For those not familiar with the term, it is used when someone throws up. Before this week, I had prided myself on never having to use the “Phone a friend” option, during my workouts. But seeing as how my Trainer knew I had been away for a while, he wanted to set the tone. He wanted to make sure I knew, this was not going to be easy. My trainer is widely regarded as one of, if not the best trainer in the business. Travelle Gaines doesn’t waste time, money or effort. When you call on him, you better bring your hard hat, lunch pail, and some huggies. He now has a group of goons as his understudies. Jordan and Jamal. They try and prove a point every time I walk through that door. What that point is, I’ll let you know when I find out. Needless to say, they’re going to make sure I am in the best shape of my life. God willing.

I figured the physical aspect of our layoff would be difficult, but the mental aspect, may be more difficult. It’s tough to watch NFL games now. I’d be a lie if I said, I didn’t miss being out there with my teammates. I do. God willing, I will have the opportunity, to get back out there, fly around and hit people, like I’m accustomed to doing. I know this is bigger than me, and I’m appreciative for this opportunity to fulfill a pillar of my faith. I know that if I keep God first, I’ll never be last. I know that through patience, I will persevere. God willing. I’ve only been out a few months, and I’m already anxious. But the guy I’m working out with, inspires me, and makes me reflect on my patience even more.  He’s been away from the game for Years. His name is Brian Banks.

Brian Banks is a humble, soft spoken young man, who loves life. When I say he loves life, I mean he really does. He loves the small things, like getting up and going to the restroom, ordering food at a restaurant, and being able to drive a car. Why? Because these things were taken away from him. He was wrongfully accused of rape, during a promising high school career, that landed him in prison for over five years. He was then placed on strict house arrest for almost 5 years. 10 years of this man’s life, gone. But do to the grace and mercy of God, and the never quit attitude Brian has, he proved his innocence. He was exonerated (XONR8) of all charges in May, and now he is working feverishly to get back to football. Patience. Perseverance. Consistency. These are qualities Brian possesses, and I want to work on. Brian doesn’t have an ounce of hate or anger in his heart. He praises God constantly, and thanks Him, for all that he has been through. He exemplifies not just a professional by his work ethic, but also by his character. I’m pulling for Brian Banks, and you should too. He inspires me to not only be a better football player, but also a better man. I am truly grateful that God has placed him in my life, and I can’t wait to see how his story unfolds.

Thank you again for checking in on our progress, and keeping up with my family and I. We truly appreciate your time and consideration. I pray we can continue to be a positive influence, and spread good. Please forgive us for our shortcomings. Have a productive week. Peace and Be Blessed.