With the announcement Tuesday that Liberty running back D.J. Abnar will miss the rest of the season due to an ankle injury which will require surgery, it has us looking back at the career of the All-Conference running back. Abnar was part of Coach Gill’s first recruiting class at Liberty. Here are his top 10 moments in a Liberty uniform:
10. Abnar first burst onto the scene in the 5th game of his true freshman season with an 83-yard kick return against Gardner-Webb. This return turned the game around as Liberty came back from being down 18 to win.
9. He picked up his first career touchdown at Presbyterian. Abnar went on to score a total of 24 touchdowns in his Liberty career.
8. D.J. could routinely be seen on the field pumping up the crowd or playing with his teammates in a light-hearted fashion as seen in this preseason training camp video from this past summer:
7. He recorded 3 straight 100-yard rushing games from 10/4/14 to 10/25/14, becoming the first Flame to do so since Rashad Jennings.
6. D.J. always seemed to play his best when the lights were brightest. In his 2 playoff games, he totaled 146 all-purpose yards and 2 touchdowns.
5. Abnar had an impressive game against Georgia State this season, leading the team with 164 all-purpose yards highlighted by a 55-yard kick return to open the game and a career long 67 yard rush.
4. His junior season was one to remember. D.J. was filling in for an injured Des Rice, and he did not dissapoint. He finished the season with 1,289 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns and was named first-team All-Conference and first-team All-State by the VaSID.
3. Who remembers this run at Appalachian State last year? (start video at 3:24)
2. Abnar carried the ball a career-high 39 times against Monmouth in 2014. He finished the game with a career-high 164 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns.
1. In the Flames’ lone playoff win to date, D.J. led the team with 2 touchdowns including this iconic photo of him diving into the end zone in the 2nd half.
Photo courtesy NewsAdvance.com
