Why Lions RB Ameer Abdullah points to sky after a TD

Barry Sanders celebrated his touchdown runs by handing the football to the nearest official. Ameer Abdullah has taken a similarly humble approach to his scores.

Abdullah celebrated his first NFL touchdown in Week 1 against the San Diego Chargers by pointing up at the sky, and the rookie running back told the Free Press that he would continue with that touchdown celebration as a way to honor the memory of a young boy he met at Nebraska.

Abdullah said he met D.J. Miles Jr. a few months before his second birthday during in the fall of 2012. Miles was suffering from pediatric brain cancer at the time, and his grandfather, Steve Reddick, was a big Nebraska fan.

"They could come visit me every now and then at the facility," Abdullah said. "We'd eat lunch together. We just spent some time together. … One of the few words he actually knew was Abdullah. He would say 'Dullah.' He recognized me by face, which is really, really distinct for a kid his age to recognize someone by face."

Miles passed away in 2013, but Abdullah said he still thought about the little boy, who had a big impact on his life.

"I kind of play for him," Abdullah said. "I feel like his spirit, his moxie, the way he carried himself, you would never know he had pediatric brain cancer by first glance because he was always happy, always smiling.

"I feel like people in this position, we take our lives for granted, we complain too much, and I feel like anytime I'm getting down on myself and starting to have a negative attitude, I can just look up and remember his spirit and understand that I got it good. That's a good reminder for me, and I feel like people are placed in your life for a reason, and I feel like D.J. came in my life for a reason and he inspired me to be a more positive guy."

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett . Download our new Lions Xtra app on Apple and Android!