Asad Abdul-Khaliq
Encyclopedia
Asad Tajmmal Abdul-Khaliq (born August 4, 1980 in Elizabeth, New Jersey
) is an American arena football
quarterback
, who is currently a free agent
. He was the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Golden Gophers football
team from 2000 to 2003. The Gophers went 10-3 during his senior year in 2003 with Abdul-Khaliq under center - the first time they won that many games in a season since a 10-1 season in 1905. He also briefly played for the Chicago Rush
and the New York Dragons of the AFL.
, with Cole seeing the majority of playing time. In 2002, after Cole graduated, Abdul-Khaliq became the full-time starter as a junior in 2002 and helped lead the Gophers to an 8-5 record, topped off by a win over Arkansas in the Music City Bowl
.
During his senior season, the Gophers got off to a 6-0 start and were nationally ranked before suffering a devastating comeback defeat at the hands of the Michigan Wolverines
in a nationally televised game at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
. The Gophers finished off the year 10-3, including a 31-30 victory over Oregon in the Sun Bowl
. For the season Abdul-Khaliq passed for 2,401 yards, throwing for 17 touchdowns and scoring four more on the ground. Over his entire Gophers career, Abdul-Khaliq completed 481-of-847 career passes for 6,660 yards and 55 touchdowns in 46 games. He added 1,158 yards and 16 touchdowns rushing.
Asad set Golden Gopher career records for touchdown passes (55), passing yards (6,600), total offense (7,818 yards), completions (481) and career touchdown-to-interception ratio (2.1-1). As of 2008, he currently holds all those records except for passing yards and completions which were broken by his successor Bryan Cupito
, who also tied Abdul-Khaliq’s touchdown mark of 55. His 19 touchdown passes in 2002 were one shy of Mike Hohensee
’s school record for touchdown passes in a season, and he tied Hohensee’s record of 10 straight games with at least one touchdown pass. He was the first quarterback in Gopher history to pass for at least 12 touchdowns in three seasons.
, Abdul-Khaliq signed a three-year contract with the Chicago Rush
of the Arena Football League on November 1, 2004. He was Chicago’s third-string quarterback during his rookie year in 2005 but did not see any playing time. After playing in only two games for the Rush in 2006, Asad was traded to the New York Dragons. He did not start any games for New York in 2007, however he did play a little at defensive back, as the team finished the season 5-11 and failing to make the playoffs. He later caught on with the Fort Wayne Fusion
in af2
.
His cousin Todd Bowles
is the defensive backs coach for the Dallas Cowboys
.
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
) is an American arena football
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Golden Gophers football
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as...
team from 2000 to 2003. The Gophers went 10-3 during his senior year in 2003 with Abdul-Khaliq under center - the first time they won that many games in a season since a 10-1 season in 1905. He also briefly played for the Chicago Rush
Chicago Rush
The Chicago Rush is an arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. It is a member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League. The team was founded in 2001 and is co-owned by Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame player and coach.The Rush have qualified for the...
and the New York Dragons of the AFL.
Gophers
Abdul-Khaliq was a four-year letter winner with Minnesota and was a two-year captain. He started as a freshman in 2000, although he eventually split quarterback duties during his freshman and sophomore years with junior-college transfer Travis ColeTravis Cole
Travis Cole is an arena football quarterback for the Rio Grande Valley Dorados of the af2. He is a 1997 graduate of Lakeridge High School in Lake Oswego, Oregon and played football and baseball for the Pacers. Cole was selected in the 52nd round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft by the...
, with Cole seeing the majority of playing time. In 2002, after Cole graduated, Abdul-Khaliq became the full-time starter as a junior in 2002 and helped lead the Gophers to an 8-5 record, topped off by a win over Arkansas in the Music City Bowl
Music City Bowl
The Music City Bowl is a post-season American college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played in Nashville, Tennessee, since 1998.-Site:The first Music City Bowl was played at Vanderbilt Stadium in 1998...
.
During his senior season, the Gophers got off to a 6-0 start and were nationally ranked before suffering a devastating comeback defeat at the hands of the Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
in a nationally televised game at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
. The Gophers finished off the year 10-3, including a 31-30 victory over Oregon in the Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
. For the season Abdul-Khaliq passed for 2,401 yards, throwing for 17 touchdowns and scoring four more on the ground. Over his entire Gophers career, Abdul-Khaliq completed 481-of-847 career passes for 6,660 yards and 55 touchdowns in 46 games. He added 1,158 yards and 16 touchdowns rushing.
Asad set Golden Gopher career records for touchdown passes (55), passing yards (6,600), total offense (7,818 yards), completions (481) and career touchdown-to-interception ratio (2.1-1). As of 2008, he currently holds all those records except for passing yards and completions which were broken by his successor Bryan Cupito
Bryan Cupito
Bryan Cupito, born on June 29, 1984 in Cincinnati, Ohio, was the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Golden Gophers for three years, from 2004 to 2006. He graduated from McNicholas High School in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2002 before graduating from the University of Minnesota in 2006.-Family:Many...
, who also tied Abdul-Khaliq’s touchdown mark of 55. His 19 touchdown passes in 2002 were one shy of Mike Hohensee
Mike Hohensee
Michael Louis Hohensee is an American Arena Football League coach who is regarded as one of the best coaches in the history of the AFL. He was hired to guide the Soul's resumption of play after a two-year hiatus starting in 2011. He resigned on July 27, 2011...
’s school record for touchdown passes in a season, and he tied Hohensee’s record of 10 straight games with at least one touchdown pass. He was the first quarterback in Gopher history to pass for at least 12 touchdowns in three seasons.
Arena Football League
After leaving the University of MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, Abdul-Khaliq signed a three-year contract with the Chicago Rush
Chicago Rush
The Chicago Rush is an arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. It is a member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League. The team was founded in 2001 and is co-owned by Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame player and coach.The Rush have qualified for the...
of the Arena Football League on November 1, 2004. He was Chicago’s third-string quarterback during his rookie year in 2005 but did not see any playing time. After playing in only two games for the Rush in 2006, Asad was traded to the New York Dragons. He did not start any games for New York in 2007, however he did play a little at defensive back, as the team finished the season 5-11 and failing to make the playoffs. He later caught on with the Fort Wayne Fusion
Fort Wayne Fusion
The Fort Wayne Fusion was a 2007 af2 expansion team in the Midwest Division of the American Conference. They played their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, which was the former home of the defunct National Indoor Football League/United Indoor Football...
in af2
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
.
His cousin Todd Bowles
Todd Bowles
Todd Robert Bowles is a retired American football safety who played eight seasons in the National Football League, mainly for the Washington Redskins. He started in Super Bowl XXII....
is the defensive backs coach for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
.