QB Jake Retzlaff's journey inspiring Jews and BYU fans alike – Deseret News

After attending his first BYU football game, a 38-9 Cougars rout of No. 13 Kansas State on Sept. 21, local Rabbi Chaim Zippel snapped a quick photo of himself and BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

The friends held up a T-shirt proclaiming Retzlaff as the "BYJew," a nickname Retzlaff gave himself days after getting to BYU in 2023.

Then Zippel posted it on X, the social networking service formerly known as Twitter.

Then the photo went viral. As of Oct. 31, it had received more than 5 million views.

Since then, that T-shirt and others created by Zippel and the Chabad of Utah County that he established nearly two years ago in Lehi have been sold by the thousands, and Retzlaff's national notoriety as the first Jewish quarterback at a school supported and sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has reached epic proportions.

"It has been crazy," Zippel told the Deseret News on Monday. "It has almost become a full-time focus for me. It has been nothing short of amazing."

Imagine what it has been like for Retzlaff, then. The junior college transfer from Corona, California, who was in a tight battle with Gerry Bohanon to be BYU's starting quarterback last August, is suddenly the face, and the voice, of BYU's No. 9-ranked football team.

The Cougars, and their Jewish quarterback, have become a national story, thanks to the uniqueness of the religious partnership and Retzlaff's success. Once ranked by Pro Football Focus (PFF) as the worst starting QB in the Big 12, he's now being talked about as a Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year candidate, a possibility if the Cougars (8-0) keep winning.

BYU and Retzlaff face a huge test Saturday, though, as the Cougars travel to Salt Lake City to face rival Utah (4-4) in the rivalry game at Rice-Eccles Stadium (8:15 p.m. MST, ESPN).

Suffice it to say that the Cougars' surprising season and Retzlaff's rise have kept the folks in the BYU sports information department extremely busy.

Jon McBride, BYU's associate athletic director for communications and media strategy, said that Retzlaff has given nearly 50 interviews since the season began, including 20 or so to national reporters and personalities such as Jim Rome, Rich Eisen and Matt Leinart. Last week, when BYU was idle, Retzlaff did five national interviews alone, McBride said.

Retzlaff has joined the ranks of some of the most nationally publicized BYU student-athletes ever in the age of digital media, a list that includes basketball star Jimmer Fredette, quarterbacks Taysom Hill, Zach Wilson and Jaren Hall and defenders Ziggy Ansah and Kyle Van Noy.

"You kinda understand that it comes with the job," Retzlaff said, giving a "shoutout" to the "best media squad" in the country — McBride and BYU football spokespersons Brett Pyne and Kenny Cox. "But at the same time, I don't think I ever saw myself talking to all these guys — like the Rome and Eisen shows, and with Leinart like we are just casually talking.

"It is a cool deal, man. It is cool to be able to embrace the moment, but not get caught up in it too much and just keep on moving and going in the right direction," he continued.

In the first five weeks of the season, Retzlaff did 24 interviews, including seven national interviews. In the last five weeks, he's done 23 more, including 12 national. He's been featured by ESPN, Fox Sports, CBS Sports and many more national outlets.

And Rabbi Zippel has been ecstatic about it; proceeds from the T-shirt sales are going to build the growing Jewish community in Utah County.

"It is remarkable. In the Jewish community, we don't get a lot of sports heroes to look up to. And I think that Jake is aware of that, and he has done everything he can to work hard and put his head down, and to not take anything for granted, to pave the way for other Jewish kids living in small communities ... to look up and say, 'Hey, I can do that, too.'"

Zippel said Retzlaff's story has been known locally since the Deseret News reported it in April 2023 , but it really took off nationally after Retzlaff's big game against K-State, and the tweets that swept the nation. He relayed the story of going to an Apple Store in Utah County and having an employee immediately recognize him as "Jake's Rabbi" and wanting a picture with him.

"That is just like a (snapshot) of the little bit of the chaos that we went through," Zippel said. "I have had rabbis around the country — in Malibu, California, in Kansas, in Nebraska, in Chicago, in Arizona, reaching out and saying, 'This is amazing. How can I get a shirt? Can we bring Jake out to speak? Can we meet him?'"

Zippel said Retzlaff has been "fearless" through all of it. The Chabad of Utah County held its first public Hanukkah celebration last December — after Retzlaff had gone 0-4 as BYU's starting QB to end the season — in the historic Provo courthouse and more than 200 people showed up to celebrate and hear Retzlaff speak.

"He was our highlight, and the message he delivered was that people around the country, since the Oct. 7th attack (in Israel), are unfortunately being forced to hide their Judaism. ... And Jake, to say he didn't care (that Jews are being forced to hide) is an understatement. Jake wears it so proudly. He walks around with his (Star of David) necklace. And uses the nickname that he wears so proudly, the BYJew, all of it. He's made us so proud."

Since then, Retzlaff and Zippel have met together with BYU President C. Shane Reese, head football coach Kalani Sitake and athletic director Tom Holmoe, among other school leaders.

"How loving, how respectful, how open BYU has been to it has been amazing," Zippel said. "They have been so welcoming, from the very first minute. ... We got them shirts and they absolutely loved them. Before Jake came, even, they have always been friendly to the Jewish people. They have done an outstanding job of making us feel comfortable. They have been fantastic."

When BYU discovered the 'strong-armed' Retzlaff Retzlaff said because he and his father, Steve, a junior college football coach, watched a lot of college football when he was a youngster, he was familiar with BYU as a football program, but knew little about its mission and ownership. His mother, Maxanne, is a former college tennis coach and a "Brooklyn Jew," according to her son.

"When BYU reached out to recruit me, I was excited, man," Jake said. "I knew they were big-time in college football. I knew less about (the church sponsorship), but I've learned a lot since then. I have a lot of respect for it."

While he was in his second season of juco ball, at Riverside City College, having transferred there from Golden West College, BYU coaches told him they would be visiting on a particular day and to get a few receivers lined up to catch some passes from him.

"I told my guys, and all 30 of them came out because BYU was going to be there," he said. "That goes to show the excitement that they had. ... My first unofficial visit to BYU, that was awesome. I knew that this was a special place when I came up here to visit."

BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick remembers that visit to Riverside CC well.

"It was a very long throwing session," Roderick said. "I thought his arm was going to fall off, he threw so many balls that day. He did have a large group of guys, and one of the things I was really impressed with is he took charge of it and ran the show. He told them what to do, what routes he wanted. He had a plan, he executed it for us, and did very well."

Impressed by the incredible numbers Retzlaff put up at Golden West and Riverside, and by his athleticism and powerful arm, Roderick and Sitake made the offer. Retzlaff backed up Kedon Slovis most of last season, then got the starting nod when Slovis sustained elbow and shoulder injuries against Texas.