AJ Dillon (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports).
AJ Dillon is the first Jewish individual we will be honoring for 2024’s Jewish American Heritage Month. Dillon is a household name for his performance as a running back for the Green Bay Packers, but what a lot of people didn’t know is that he is Jewish as well. The running back is particularly open about being a Jew of color, which we love. Learn more about the Green Bay Packers mainstay below!
A Little about Dillon
Just who is Algiers Jameal William Dillon Jr.? Only he knows, but we will share a little of what we do.
Childhood
AJ Dillon grew up with a single mother, Jessyca Gatewood-Campbell, in New London, Connecticut. He describes “growing up” with his mother, who was only 20 when she had him. Growing up for Ms. Jessyca included maintaining four or five jobs to pay her way through school so she could get her Masters degree. She truly showed her son what hard work looked like.
Dillon had football blood in his body; his grandfather is in the College Football Hall of Fame for his time at Notre Dame. The future running back knew that’s what he wanted since he was 7 years old. His mother joined in on the effort, teaching him how to throw a spiral, running drills in their backyard, and picking up football terminology as she went.
She would wake up her son, and then as he got older, he would wake her up so they could go to the local stadium and do bleacher runs and timed lifts. That tenacity is what got Dillon an invitation to play football at Lawrence Academy, a boarding school in Groton, Massachusetts. From there, he attended Boston College, where he made a splash.
College & NFL
In 2017, he was named ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year. He only chose to attend college for three years, but he did well enough to get selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. Some people were talking about how a 250-pound, 6’0″ player was a running back and not a defensive player. But the speedy Dillon outran his haters and has solidified his position with the Packers.
AJ Dillon just resigned with the Green Bay Packers after his first four seasons there. We’ll be seeing more of this Jewish American talent for years to come.
AJ Dillon’s Talks About Being Jewish American
Dillon does talks and Tik Toks to share what life is like as a Jewish American, particularly of color. At the BBYO International Convention in 2022, he spoke candidly about his unique Jewish experience.
BBYO is a non-profit that is designed to build the identity of Jewish teens and offer them meaningful Jewish experiences through leadership development programs.
In front of the crowd, Dillon spoke about how his mother’s side of the family was very Jewish growing up; he is part of the Hendel family. The running back would juggle Hebrew school with football practice growing up. Even when he spent time in non-Jewish places, he has always been in tune with and proud of his Jewish heritage.
Everywhere he’s gone, he’s had people supporting his identity. Especially growing up, he would get time off from practices to celebrate specific Jewish holidays. He said his teammates all through the years, including the Green Bay Packers, have always been supportive.
In talking about his attempts to educate via social media, he said he’s “not necessarily what people typically think of somebody being Jewish, and I thought about myself, I mean, tattoos, Black guy, NFL …. Most people look at me and the last thought that comes across their mind is that you’re Jewish.”
What is one important sentiment that AJ Dillon learned as a kid and that he leads with as an adult? Inclusion. He told the crows that he made a habit of joining clubs in college that included Muslims, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other diverse organizations. He still has that same attitude today, granted he has a few less club ownerships while juggling the life of an NFL running back.
AJ Dillon’s Legacy
Dillon is still young; the 25-year-old has plenty of time to continue building a legacy. However, he has already put one into place by encouraging inclusion, educating people on being a Jewish American of color, and being a positive locker room presence in the NFL.
Another way he has established a legacy is through his son. Dillon has been a married man since 2022, tying the knot with his beautiful wife, Gabrielle Toonen. Roughly one year later, the couple had their first child, Algiers Dillon III, “Trey” for short. A fun fact about father and son is that they’re actually birthday twins, both having been born on May 2nd.
We can’t wait to see what great things AJ Dillon continues to do with his life. Keep an eye out for future Jewish American Heritage Month articles at The Forkball. If you’re looking for more heritage month articles in the meantime, catch my series celebrating Arab American Heritage Month 2024 here.
