- Jake Retzlaff made Brigham Young University history as the first Jewish running back in program history
- The California native proudly wears a Star of David necklace under his football gear
- He’s now eyeing the NFL and recently landed a NIL deal with Manischewitz, a kosher food manufacturer
On the fourth night of Hanukkah, Jake Retzlaff and his BYU teammates will take on Deion Sanders’ Colorado in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio.
The Jewish running back — who started his college career at two different junior colleges in California before being drafted by the Cougars — is enjoying every second of every snap, but as fans can attest, it’s all no wonder.
“I’m excited about it,” Retzlaff, 21, tells PEOPLE exclusively about playing on the holiday, then adds, laughing, “Someone’s probably going to make a big deal out of it, so I’m not going to.”
He continues: “But yes, I think it will be very cheerful.” I actually played on Yom Kippur this year [against Arizona] and we won, so that must have been a sign.”
BYU fans will take it. The team, which went 10-2 and 7-2 in conference play this season, seemingly exceeded expectations in its second season in the Big 12.
Although they fell just short of making the playoffs, Retzlaff says he’s looking forward to another opportunity next year.
“A lot of people who thought we should have been included, who thought our resumes showed more than where we ended up,” he tells PEOPLE. “But this team is in the top 12. I believe in that. I believe that if you put us in that playoff, we will show up and play well. So I’m excited for that opportunity next year.”
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This season, Retzlaff found his groove, leading the team in QBs after starting the final four games of 2023 — all to coincide with the worldwide attention he received not just for being a Jewish quarterback, but as a Jewish quarterback. in a Mormon school.
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“The first time I realized I should be me was in high school when everybody was trying to figure out who they were, of course,” Retzlaff says, describing his experience playing ball in Corona, Calif., where he and brother Reggie were first known as athletes, not necessarily because they were Jewish athletes.
A friend inspired Retzlaff, a Reform Jew who had a bar mitzvah, to be proud of his heritage.
“I had this chain,” he says as he pulls on his Star of David necklace to face the camera during a Zoom call, “and now I wear it everywhere all the time. But a friend of mine who ended up playing safety at Idaho State said, ‘Jake, take that chain off, man, be you. You know what I mean? Don’t be afraid of such things.’ ”
He continues: “And it was like I owed it to him. You know what I mean? All the things that come from that, just being yourself. And so from then on it was like I’m just going to be 100% myself, and believe me, the guys in the locker room, they know that and they’ve seen that. And so it was fun to embrace that and be me. And I think that’s great because I think it’s great, the positive feedback from people all over the world.”
In the midst of a time of heightened anti-Semitism, messages from around the world reached Retzlaff.
“Things that say, ‘Hey dude, keep being Jewish,’” he shares. “And I’m like, just like, dude, it’s crazy what came of it. And not that it was not my intention, but it was not at the end of my mind to be inspirational and such things. For me it was as simple as being me and seeing what happens. And all that positivity was amazing.”
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The caller says his teammates have accepted him for who he is – and the feeling is mutual.
“I mean, coming to a place like BYU where it’s religious, it becomes super easy to be religious, what’s going on around you,” he tells PEOPLE. “It was cool for me to grow a little bit in faith when I got here. But at the same time, you get questions from guys who are very curious here and just wondering about my religion. And that’s cool because I wasn’t very familiar with the LDS faith either. And so for me it was to ask them similar questions back and kind of discover the nuances and learn from them at the same time.”
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Retzlaff, who wants to make it in the NFL one day, recently landed a NILAN deal with Manischewitz, a kosher food company known for wine, matzo and other Jewish holiday foods.
All of which means that back home in California, there might just be a few leftover latkes from his mom on the table after bowling.
“The cool thing is that I’ll be back home for the end of Hanukkah, the last half,” he tells PEOPLE. “And it’s so beautiful. Just being home during the holidays is fun, and being back with family is always good.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education