Husain Abdullah No Longer In The Mix At Safety For The Vikings

After suffering a couple of concussions last season and ending the year on injured reserve, Minnesota Vikings' safety Husain Abdullah hit the free agent market this off-season. While he has received interest from teams, including the Vikings, it appears that you can scratch him off of the list of potential options at safety for the 2012 NFL season.

Not because the Vikings aren't interested or because he's not worthy of it, mind you. Rather, it's because Husain Abdullah and his older brother Hamza Abdullah announced on Thursday that they will be sitting out the 2012 NFL season to speak at mosques during the summer, followed by making a pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in the fall.

"It has been a blessing to play in the NFL for both Husain and I," Hamza said in a press release, "but we would be remiss if we didn't give thanks to the One who made it all possible."

"I visited Makkah, Saudi Arabia in March and a strong sense of urgency overcame me to attend 'Hajj' in October," Husain said. " I love the game of football but, it would directly coincide with my pilgrimage. So, I'm taking some time off."

The pair did not say if they would attempt a return to the NFL for the 2013 season.