After spending three years at Iowa State, senior running back Abu Sama III has emerged as one of the most dynamic and explosive players on the Badgers’ offense.
Sama has a lot of experience under his belt; In his three years as a Cyclone, he rushed for nearly 2,000 yards and 13 touchdowns.
After Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell left for Penn State, Sama entered the portal and committed to the Badgers on Jan. 3. Despite missing Wisconsin's game against Eastern Michigan after head coach Luke Fickell decided to rest him, and leaving this weekend’s game at Penn State with an upper-body injury, Sama has 28 carries for 190 yards and one touchdown in his first three games played.
After rushing for 49 yards in his debut as a Badger against Notre Dame, he scored on the first play against Western Illinois with a 72-yard rushing touchdown the following weekend. He followed the touchdown with an impressive 31-yard run.
Sama said his big plays so far with the Badgers have strengthened his confidence.
“All the work that we've been putting in through the week and seeing it happen on Saturday, I feel like that's just what I prepare for,” Sama told The Daily Cardinal. “So I feel like just the more I can stay consistent in what I do in practice, and as a whole, as an offense, we stay consistent and trying to improve and learn from our last game.”
Sama characterized his transition from Cyclone to Badger as “amazing,” and added that he’s learned a lot, which has helped elevate his game — including becoming a four-down back.
“I think throughout the games I've been trying to really hit my gaps and hit my runs and doing what I can to be productive on the field,” Sama said.
Standing at 5-feet, 11-inches tall and weighing 214 pounds, Sama said he often uses his physicality to his advantage when running the football. He told the Cardinal he looks up to NFL running backs Le’Veon Bell, Alvin Kamara and Saquon Barkley.
“I try to do whatever I can. If that's trucking them, using my arm as a weapon, or even juking them or jumping over them, I think being able to do all those makes me a very hard person to tackle,” Sama said.
Sama said he expects to see the offense scoring more rushing touchdowns as they continue to progress and get more in sync. He also emphasized the importance of not just the running back room, but the team being “tough, nasty and disciplined.”
“I think that's something that we kind of stand by — just being really physical. I won't say really nothing changed, just us trying to be consistent at those things and improving that every day,” Sama said.
A big part of how successful the Badgers’ run game can be will come down to their offensive line — a group Sama said he’s confident in. He credited them for allowing him to flourish on the field.
“I love my whole line. I feel like they're getting better every day. The better they get, the better we get as a whole,” Sama said. "That just makes the offense be able to do what we want to do and really dominate the offense.”
Sama told the Cardinal before games, he takes everything in and remembers all the work he’s put in to get himself in this position.
“I think about all the work that I put in, [and] know that I'm here for a reason,” Sama said. “I like looking at my surroundings, looking at the crowd and looking at the place I'm at, because not a lot of people get to do this.”
Although Sama may not be a household name yet, he said he’s grateful to be in Madison, repping Badger red.
“I feel like I'm in a position where I can say I'm not a regular running back, but I can only talk for myself. So I think I'm a great player, and I'm just learning every day to try to be an amazing player,” Sama said.
A team is always bigger than one player, and Sama echoed this message, saying he’s excited for the rest of the season.
“We got great players, but not only players, humans, people who know it's more than football. I feel like we love this place and the way we carry ourselves and we show out on the field, it shows our everyday lives,” Sama said.
After the Badgers averaged only 116.7 rushing yards per game last season, and were ranked 118th in the FBS, improving the run game was something the program stressed in the offseason.
The Badgers have shown slight progress running the football through their first four games, averaging 134.3 rushing yards per game. However, in a league known for running the football, this number will need to increase, and Sama has the opportunity to play a big role in this needed improvement.
After leaving the Penn State game this weekend with an injury, Sama did not return and is currently questionable for the team’s game against Michigan State on Saturday.
