BYU’s Jewish QB Jake Retzlaff Signs The Most Fitting NIL Deal We’ve Ever Seen In the History of college sports

As a Jewish man, I feel comfortable saying that we are not exactly a sporting people. We’ve had some success in baseball (Sandy Koufax and Hank Greenberg come to mind). We love basketball, but physical limitations mean we tend to end up more in ownership or administrative roles (Adam Silver, Red Auerbach). But football? Football is not for us.

The most successful Jewish player in NFL history is probably Lyle Alzado, a two-time All-Pro defensive end. Former UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen was supposed to change all that. But we all saw how that went. Rosen is now enrolled in Penn’s Wharton School of Business, a much more naturally fit for a guy named Josh Rosen, all things considered.

There is, however, a new hope. It comes in the form of BYU Cougars quarterback Jake Retzlaff, who bizarrely enough finds himself starring at a private university sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (AKA Mormons).

Retzlaff was an unheralded prospect out of Centennial High School in Corona, California and played two seasons for Riverside Community College before committing to BYU over Hawaii, UTEP and New Mexico State.

He earned the starting job for the Cougars this season and threw for 2,796 yards, 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions to lead BYU to a 10-2 record. For his efforts, Retzlaff also earned what is, without question, the nation’s most fitting NIL deal.

Jewish BYU Quarterback Jake Retzlaff Signs NIL Deal With Iconic Manischewitz Brand

On Wednesday night, Retzlaff announced that he had signed an NIL deal to represent Manischewitz. Manischewitz (pronounced Man-uh-shev-itz or Mahn-uh-shev-itz depending on which Jewish household you enter),  for the uninitiated, is the premier provider of kosher food in the United States.

It is best known for its insanely sweet wine which can be found at almost any Jewish religious holiday and its matzah (rhymes with lotsa), an unleavened bread eaten during the Passover holiday.

“Manischewitz has always been part of my life,” Retzlaff said in a press release. “I grew up with matzo with peanut butter as my favorite snack, and every Passover, my family and I made matzo pizza together. At Chanukah time our tradition was making potato latkes.

“Now, at BYU, I’m able to share these traditions with my teammates. This partnership is about more than football — it’s about creating connections and celebrating Jewish pride in ways I never expected.”

At a time when NIL feels more like a recruiting inducement than anything else, it’s nice to see an advertising deal that actually makes sense for both sides. And here’s hoping Retzlaff continues to ball out next year in his senior season, because there aren’t many of us out there to cheer for.

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