By St. Clair Murraine
Democrat Staff Writer

Florida A&M offensive lineman Saf Ahmad is being tested. Again. When he was 15 years old and he told his parents that he’d joined the Miami Norland High School football team, they questioned whether it was best for him.He overcame his parents’ objection and became a good enough player to be signed by Florida International University. But he ended up at Florida A&M as a transfer, where he finds himself having to prove his ability to land a starting job at offensive tackle.Just like he did when he won the argument with his parents whether their 6-foot-3, 303-pound son should play football, Ahmad is fighting to prove he belongs.“Believe me, every day when I lift weights and I run, I’m not preparing to be a backup,” he said. “I’m preparing as if I’m opening Day 1 against UM. That’s how I’m looking at it. I didn’t come here to be a backup.”Ahmad would have to beat out Robert Hartley during preseason camp if he wants to prove he is the better man. He and Hartley were involved in an intense competition during the spring and Hartley, a redshirt sophomore, got the nod with a slightly better effort and better knowledge of the playbook.But Ahmad said he’s taking the summer to get Joe Taylor’s system down pat by the time preseason camps starts in a month.

There is little reason to doubt that he’d get it because he’s proven that he’s a quick study since he was in high school.

He didn’t decide to go out for Norland’s team until his sophomore year. He heard over the school’s public address system that there was a team tryout and borrowed a pair of shorts from a friend for his first workout.

Ahmad made the team but he didn’t have his parents on board. They showed their disapproval by refusing to pick him up after practice, he said. After a few weeks, they gave in.

“I just stood my ground,” he said. “I told them I wanted to try to be the first Arabic player to go to the NFL. I told them this is what I wanted to do and I needed their support.”

His quest for exposure is what brought him to FAMU, he said. He redshirted his first season at FIU, but found himself relegated to the practice squad the following year.

A conversation with the sister of FAMU quarterback Martin Ukpai, led him to Tallahassee, he said.

Despite his second-place finish in the battle to start on the offensive line, Ahmad made enough of an impression to keep the competition between him and Hartley going, said offensive coordinator Lawrence Kershaw.

“He is still a contender,” Kershaw said. “He has a chance to grab the No. 1 spot. He is going to be a valuable asset to us because right now, even if he ends up on the second team, he is the sixth (offensive) lineman.

“He is mentally tough. That’s his biggest attribute and he wants to be good.”

So as his will is being tested one more time, Ahmad seemingly is intent on winning out again.

“I’m just going to pin my ears back and go all out,” he said. “It’s going to be a lot easier.”