Sam Salz (Photo courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics).
We often don’t discuss college football players during any heritage month, but the norm never applies to Sam Salz. The Texas A&M player is redefining what Division 1 college ball looks like for multiple reasons. Many people are excited about Sam Salz and view him as critical Jewish representation in the football world, so we had to talk about him too. Let’s hear all about the trend-setting player below!
What Sets Sam Salz Apart
Sam Salz is a special guy for a multitude of reasons. For one, he’s 5’6′ and 155 pounds. He has also never played organized football before college. Walking on a Division 1 football team off the street as a shorty with next to no football experience is basically unheard of.
In addition, Salz believes he is the only Orthodox Jew in Division 1 football. It doesn’t appear that anyone is disagreeing with him on this claim. Being Orthodox Jewish in collegiate football requires some concessions, but Sam wouldn’t have it any other way.
Unique Adapations
He wears his head covering and Jewish prayer shawl on the gridiron under his helmet and uniform every day. Sam Salz doesn’t practice during Jewish holidays, and he doesn’t play on the Sabbath. That can be difficult since most games occur on the Sabbath. He can’t drive on Saturdays, so he walks 1.5 miles to the field back and forth. He studies the Torah, eats, and hangs out in the lounge before dressing up and joining his team on the sidelines. Salz is such a cool, conviction-filled young man!
The campus has done well accommodating Salz’s unique needs. The team’s nutritionist always makes sure he has access to kosher meals, and he has his own microwave that is designated for kosher food only. This is in a much more positive contrast to the beans, rice, and tuna he would use to bulk up when he couldn’t find Kosher meat in the greater College Station community.
Overall, Salz will agree that the team has done a good job accommodating his religious convictions. Mark Robinson, the team’s athletic director, is also Jewish, and he has helped build a bridge of understanding between Sam and the coaching staff. Robinson pointed out that they have people from many different religious backgrounds, including Muslims, and that religious practices are always accommodated for everyone. Other universities should take note of a sports program that is so dedicated to equality for all.
Are All Religiously Jewish People Orthodox?
The simple answer is no. Orthodox Judaism is also not a specific denomination of the Jewish faith. The concept of “orthodoxy” is a bit abstract and subjective, so we’ll let you decide what is and isn’t. However, Orthodox Judaism is often associated with a more conservative approach to the faith. We discussed Robert Kraft last week, who was raised and maintains a modern Orthodox Jewish lifestyle in contrast.
The Orthodox Jewish faith is often associated with a few things (this is not an exhaustive list):
- A strict interpretation of the Jewish law (halacha)
- Observing the Sabbath
- Eating kosher
- Torah study
- No traveling on Shabbat
- Gender-segregated prayer
What Are Sam Salz’s Next Steps?
In a perfect world, Sam Salz would like to be drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles (his hometown’s team). In the off-season, he plans on attending rabbinical school, and he would like to maintain a schedule as a motivational speaker. Considering he already broke through Division 1 football, who’s to say he can’t meet all those goals and more?
Thank you for your critical representation, Sam Salz! We can’t wait to see where you go next. If you, as the reader, are looking for something to read next, check out my article on AJ Dillon out here.
