Inside The Panthers

Israel Abanikanda Scores First NFL Touchdown

The first touchdown of the NFL season belongs to a Pitt Panther.

Stephen Thompson

Israel Abanikanda Scores First NFL Touchdown
Israel Abanikanda Scores First NFL Touchdown /
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PITTSBURGH -- The Hall of Fame Game, the first preseason game of the year, marks the beginning of the NFL season and former Pitt Panthers running back Israel Abanikanda did his part to ring in 2023. 

Abanikanda scored the first touchdown of his NFL career and the first of the 2023 NFL season on a 10-yard rush in the second quarter. His scoring run put the New York Jets, who drafted the former Pitt star in the fifth round of this spring's draft, up 12-0 early in an eventual loss to the Browns. 

Abanikanda was the only tailback to take a carry for the Jets through the first two and a half quarters of the game. He eneded his day as New York's leading rusher with nine attempts for 27 yards and the one score, which also represented his longest run of the day at 10 yards.

With starter Breece Hall on the Physically Unable to Perform list, Abanikanda has a chance to earn significant snaps early in his career.  

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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