SCHINIAS, Greece -- Aquil Abdullah has already made history as the first black to row for the U.S. Olympic team. Now he's just two races away from becoming the first to win a medal.
The former college football recruit and his double scull partner Henry Nuzum finished a solid third in a five-team field Saturday to become one of two U.S. boats to advance to the semifinals in their respective events.
The other American boat to move straight to the semifinal round was the men's pair of Luke Walton and Russian-born Artour Samsonov. They advanced by beating the Czechs for third place in a four-boat heat, although they finished 14 seconds behind heat winner South Africa.
Three other U.S. boats will have to race in repechages, or second-chance races, which now are scheduled for Monday unless expected stormy weather changes that. The other seven American boats are set to race their opening heats Sunday.
Abdullah, slated to race next on Wednesday, wouldn't have been in Athens had it not been for two friends who convinced the then-high school senior to join their crew team.
Football had been his pastime since his father first put him in pads at age 8.
Growing to 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, he played wide receiver in high school and was recruited by several small college programs.
He was weighing whether to accept a scholarship for football or rowing when his mother ordered him to make a choice before he got in the car with his friends for spring break. His gut told him to row.
"It's kind of weird. I always thought of myself as an athlete, but not necessarily a football player," said Abdullah, who has no regrets about giving up football now. "I thought I was a good football player, but rowing just was it.
"I've been all over the world, made friends all over world, had such amazing experiences and it's really helped me in my journey to become a better human being, just with the type of dedication and camaraderie you see throughout the sport."
As for being the first black on the Olympic team, he says "it's great," but refuses comparisons to pioneers such as Jackie Robinson.
"I'm just a regular Joe who happened to try rowing and got lucky that it matched the talent I actually have," he said. "I understand I have a responsibility if I can help bring the sport to more people, but I never think about myself as anything special."
