After scoring the second touchdown of his career against the Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs player Husain Abdullah was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. What did he do, you ask? He dropped to his knees and prayed. Apparently to the NFL, that is considered excessive celebration.
Abdullah is Muslim. He fasts during Ramadan and traveled to Mecca during the Hajj in 2012. His prayer only lasted for 2 seconds, and he was back in the game. According to Abdullah’s coach Andy Reid, it’s possible that the penalty was not for the prayer itself but may have been for the slide that took place prior to the prayer. “For me, I just got a little too excited,” Abdullah said. “I think it was for the slide.” Abdullah was never explicitly told that the slide was the reason for the penalty but when he returned to the sideline, Reid did warn him that you can’t slide.
During the post-game interview Reid said, “When you go to Mecca, you should be able to slide wherever you want. We’ve got two priests in here. They’d probably vouch for me.”
As it stands, Abdullah was either penalized for praying or for sliding into a prayer. Check out the photos below and judge for yourself. Does this look like excessive celebration?
