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BYU quarterback becomes the face of an iconic Jewish food brand

BYU’s first Jewish quarterback, who became known as the ‘BYJew,’ will be featured on Manischewitz’s matzos boxes.

(Courtesy of Manischewitz) BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff on the cover of Matzo Boxes.

(Courtesy of Manischewitz) BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff on the cover of Matzo Boxes.

  | Dec. 5, 2024, 1:00 p.m.
| Updated: 4:37 p.m.

A Utah rabbi once joked that BYU players thought quarterback Jake Retzlaff was going to bring matzo to the team breakfast when he was in charge of catering a meal.

Instead, Retzlaff brought in a food truck with a range of Kosher sandwiches.

But matzo might be on the menu the next time Retzlaff is tasked with feeding his teammates.

The leader of BYU’s football team will be featured on special boxes of Manischewitz’s matzo. One Jewish news outlet compared the Manischewitz food boxes to the Jewish equivalent of the iconic Wheaties Box.

Retzlaff said he grew up eating Manischewitz, a producer of kosher foods for the Jewish community since the 1800s. Retzlaff ate matzo pizza often during the Jewish holiday of Passover.

“Manischewitz has always been part of my life. I grew up with matzo with peanut butter as my favorite snack. Every Passover, my family and I made matzo pizza together,” Retzlaff said in a statement. “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.”

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Jake Retzlaff (12) as Utah hosts BYU, NCAA football in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024.

Retzlaff became known as the “BYJew” and something of a national star this season. Playing at a school that is 98.5% Latter-day Saints, the Jewish quarterback led a Cougar revival. BYU had never had a Jewish quarterback before.

Rabbis from across the country started rooting for BYU, buying “BYJew” T-shirts and flocking to LaVell Edwards Stadium for games.

“I went to a rabbi conference all the way in New York and so many people came up to me and mentioned” him, said Rabbi Sam Spector, who leads Salt Lake City’s Congregation Kol Ami.

A White House reporter dressed up as Retzlaff for Halloween and the QB was profiled by The Atlantic as he became a dark horse Heisman candidate.

BYU went 10-2 this season and Retzlaff authored three game-winning drives to keep the season alive. That included late-game heroics against Utah, where the quarterback cemented his place in BYU history.

Read More:

• A history of bloodied, broken teeth has BYU QB Jake Retzlaff latched on to the Cougars’ starting job.

• With a Jewish quarterback leading the Cougars, Utah’s rabbis have become rabid BYU football fans.

• BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff, a maker of miracles, stands among Cougar royalty after beating Utah.

• BYU’s dramatic win over Oklahoma State will be talked about ‘for a long time’. How Jake Retzlaff’s game-winning drive saved a 7-0 season. And it may be remembered as one of the best finishes in recent program history.

• BYU, living on the razor’s edge, will go as far as QB Jake Retzlaff can take them.

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