The Only Orthodox Jew Playing NCAA Division 1 Football Team at Texas A&M

Growing up in Philadelphia, Sam Salz played football for fun. His day school and yeshiva didn’t have football teams, and he didn’t play in any recreational leagues. But he was a big fan of the Philadelphia Eagles and when he was ready to go to college, he decided to attend Texas A&M so he could experience its unique football culture.

“There is a lot of spirit in it, which is really important,” Salz said. “It fosters this sense of unity between the fans. It’s more religious than any other sport. Ask 99% of football players if they believe in God, and they’ll say they do.”

Salz, 20, an economics major, wanted to be part of Texas A&M Aggies football, an NCAA Division 1 team and the 25th best college team in the country. There was only one problem: officially, the rule was that to try out for the team, it was required to play high school football on a varsity level which Salz didn’t do.

So, he got creative.

Getting on the team

There was a field right next to the Aggies’ training facility, and Salz, an observant Jew, went there every day to train, aside from Shabbat. He worked on taking hand-offs, catching, and doing footwork. In his free time, he went to the gym to bulk up.

“Eventually, I synched up my training time with the team when they were practicing,” he said. “I would show up to the head coach’s [Coach Jimbo Fisher’s] radio show and persistently be there. I had so much faith that I was going to get onto the team without having to try out.”

Salz asked the team’s associate athletic director when they were having tryouts. He was told that the roster was full, but if anyone quit, they would call him.

“Last year, two days before Yom Kippur, I was studying for an economics test and got a call from the associate director to come down to the training facility.”

Salz received the news: he’d made the team. He didn’t even have to try out.

“Wouldn’t you know, that’s exactly how it happened,” he said.

Making it work with his Judaism

Salz now had another issue – the Aggies sometimes practiced and played on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. In fact, he couldn’t go to his first practice, which was on Yom Kippur that year.

But he wasn’t willing to give up his values or compromise his faith for football.

“I was honest about it,” he said. “And they were very accepting.”

Salz was given the position of a running back, and he’d wear his Chabad of Texas A&M kippah under his helmet when playing. He also started wrapping tefillin with the associate athletic director, who is Jewish. According to A&M, Salz is the only Shabbat-observant football player in Division I football, and the entire team has been incredibly welcoming to him.

“Texas is very respectful of religion and the coaches here are all very religious,” he said. “My teammates are all very supportive.”

Salz believes it’s critical not to compromise on your values, even if they seem to clash with your goals.

“If you have a dream, you shouldn’t it give up,” he said. “If you understand your limitations – like that you can’t play on Shabbat – you can figure out a workaround that conforms to Jewish law where you don’t have to compromise your beliefs. That’s what I’m seeing now with other observant athletes like myself.”

Instead of practicing or playing on Shabbat, Salz goes to his on-campus Chabad for Friday night dinner and services where he feels at home as he attended a Chabad shul growing up.

“Outreach was very much ingrained in me,” he said.

Looking towards the future

Salz envisions becoming a rabbi in the future and getting rabbinic ordination. “I want to inspire other Jews with the depth and wisdom of Judaism,” he said.

His training for the Texas A&M football team – and then miraculously becoming part of it – has strengthened Salz’s faith.

“My relationship with God has grown,” he said. “I really learned a lot about having emunah, faith in God. Our relationship with God is the most important thing we have. It’s what really drives me to succeed. God gave me purpose and made me who I am.”

Looking ahead, Salz would love to play in the NFL, but only if it’s what would be the best for him – and make the world a better place.

“I will go wherever God takes me,” he said. “If the NFL is a place where I can sanctify God’s Name and teach people that Judaism will never hold you back, that’s where I’ll be. Would I like to be there? Of course. It would be an interesting experience. But what I really want to do is go where I can inspire the most people.”