Lincoln-Way West’s Jahan Abubakar never likes to dwell on the past.
The 6-foot-2, 192-pound senior running back prefers to stay present in the moment. He delivers a propulsive style out of the backfield, and with his vision, he remains open to every possibility.
“I felt like in our game Friday, every time we got into the red zone, we kind of feared that,” Abubakar said. “At the end, we really locked in and everything just kind of came together.”
The South Dakota recruit built upon his blistering start Friday against host Lockport, coming through with a 2-yard touchdown run with 11.6 seconds left to clinch a 21-17 nonconference win.
Abubakar rushed for 140 yards and two TDs to lead the Warriors (2-0), improving his season totals to 295 yards and six TDs.
“I just felt like I had to put the whole team on my back and punch it in,” he said. “I also felt the most important part was staying calm, believing in the coaches, the play calls and executing.”
Abubakar came into his own last season as the featured back after apprenticing under standout running back Joey Campagna as a sophomore two years ago.
In leading the Warriors to a 7-4 record and the second round of the Class 7A state playoffs, Abubakar rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored nine TDs.
“I think what we’ve seen so far this year is the natural progression and continuity of a three-year varsity player,” Lincoln-Way West coach Luke Lonkanc said. “His best quality is his character. He can light up a room. He’s the emotional leader of the team. He’s a vocal leader.
“As a player, he has the size and speed to break anything.”
Senior quarterback Grant Tustin felt the impact of Abubakar’s poised, cool nature Friday night when Lincoln-Way West was seeking to overcome the late three-point deficit.
“I threw an interception two drives earlier,” Tustin said. “He helped keep me calm and under control, and that allowed me to go back out and get us a victory.
“Something that I think speaks volumes about his character is his willingness to do the things that receive no praise.”
On that 11-play, 70-yard drive, Abubakar didn’t have any dramatic runs. He just grinded away.
“He wanted the ball in his hands,” Tustin said. “His will on that last drive was unmatched. He was stopped by multiple defenders on many different plays and still managed to get us yards.”
Playing running back is very much a state of mind, and Abubakar understands the physical punishment he’s exposed to as an inescapable part of the process.
“I’ve played running back my whole life,” he said. “I feel like it’s just me and who I am. I love the versatility. You can run the ball. Catch the ball. You can block.
“You can do all these different types of things. I just feel like it’s a complete position.”
Jahan is the second oldest in a family of four. His family is Creole. His mother, Angelique Stegall, is Haitian. His father, Muhammed Abubakar, is Nigerian. Both of his parents arrived in the United States as young teenagers.
He started playing the game at age 5, learning the basics playing for the Tinley Park Bulldogs youth program. His older brother, Joshua Banks, played running back at Andrew.
With the size to run between the tackles and track-trained sprinter’s speed to break around the edge, Jahan is built to make big plays for Lincoln-Way West. And he knows the score.
Every running back naturally creates a signature style.
“I think the way I run the ball is definitely different from a lot of backs,” Abubakar said. ”I see it in the way I read the holes or make people miss in open space.
“I feel like football is an art, and there’s no other sport like it.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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