ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Throughout much of his youth in Homewood, Alabama, Ameer Abdullah looked up to his older siblings -- all eight of them.

But his oldest brother Muhammad might have had the most influence. Ameer saw Muhammad go to Alabama State on an athletic scholarship. Even though Ameer was still a kid, it gave him the idea that one day, he could do that as well.

After finishing up his NFL career, Ameer Abdullah has his sights set on law school. AP Photo/Carlos Osorio

As each of the Abdullah children went to and graduated from four-year colleges in Alabama, it continued to motivate Ameer. It also gave him an idea of what he would want to do whenever his budding NFL career ends up concluding.

He wants to go to law school, just like Muhammad, who now doubles as a family member and his agent.

“I’m just feeling my way through,” Ameer Abdullah, the Detroit Lions rookie running back, said. “He dibbles and dabbles in family law, tax. So I’m feeling my way through, gaining some knowledge from him and [will] have my mind made up pretty soon.”

Muhammad Abdullah is actually an all-service representative for his younger brother, who picked up the name “Pee Wee” as a child because, well, he’s the youngest. Besides having a law degree, Muhammad’s a certified public accountant. So he can manage and advise his brother’s finances, his contract and his other interests.

While similar arrangements in sports have led to money affecting familial relationships -- think NHL player Jack Johnson -- Abdullah has no concerns. He comes from a family rooted in education. Besides Muhammad and Ameer, one of his older sisters, Halimah, is a writer and editor handling political issues for NBC News in Washington, D.C.

Ameer Abdullah said, like brothers, they will disagree on things but often “it is for the fun of it” instead of something serious. Abdullah also understands the past.

As prerequisites at Nebraska to prepare for his potential future law degree, Abdullah majored in history. He did well there, too, being named Academic All-Big Ten in 2013 and 2014. He’s also a voracious reader, particularly about books on history and religion, including his practiced religion, Islam.

His favorite area of history, though, fits with his NFL game. He’s a dual-threat back who the Lions are hoping can eventually be a guy who can run between the tackles, work well in space and catch passes out of the backfield.

So that era of history he’s most interested in -- it’s about a century old: The Roaring Twenties.

“It’s the most innovative time in American history,” Abdullah said. “A lot was going on. The automobile industry, as you guys know, Ford was popping the Model T. Airplanes.

“A lot of things that are making America what it is today. You can see where we’ve come from that point. It’s mind-boggling to think sometimes.”

For a Detroit run attack that struggled last season, the Lions are hoping people say similar things about their ground game by the end of this season.