Congratulations are in order for the most die-hard of NFL fans, the ones who sat in front of their TVs for days on end watching the NFL Draft last weekend. But a few words of warning: All of that sofa time has robbed you of Vitamin D, and we hereby remind you that it is often sunny and warm outside at this time of year, and your tan is rather lacking, y’all.

We have had mini-camps around the country and a couple of significant signings (Lamar Jackson staying with Baltimore) and trades (Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets), and we all have summer vacations to take before the 2023 NFL season kicks off in the fall and we get to ascertain whether Bryce Young was the proper No. 1 overall pick.

That makes for plenty of reading time, and as part of Betway editorial’s commitment toward Jewish Heritage month, we are adding to your spring/summer reading list with our ranking of the Top 10 Jewish players in NFL history.

When is Jewish Heritage Month?

May was designated Jewish Heritage Month by President George Bush in 2006 to recognize and celebrate the achievements and contributions of those of the Jewish faith. The president wanted to proclaim a month that would recognize the more than 350-year history of Jewish contributions to America and American culture. On Feb. 14, 2006, Congress issued House Concurrent Resolution 315 which stated:

"Resolved ... that Congress urges the President to issue each year a proclamation calling on State and local governments and the people of the United States to observe an American Jewish History Month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities."

Are there any Jewish NFL Players?

There were six Jewish players on NFL rosters last season, according to Marca, and the list for next season will not be availbalbe until mini-camps and training camps are held, which will let us know what rosters for the upcoming season look like.

Current Jewish NFL Players

The best-known current Jewish NFL player is Green Bay Packers running back A.J. Dillon, who rushed for 770 yards and seven touchdowns last season as the team’s second-best rusher behind Aaron Jones (1,121 yards but only two TDs).

Famous Jewish NFL Players

Old-timers will tell you that Sid Luckman of the Chicago Bears was the greatest quarterback to teach your great-grandchildren about, and those who like a little mirth with their football should read up on Alex Karros, who went on to become a professional wrestler, sportscaster and actor before passing away in 2012. But there were others, and we shall show you below …

Ranking the 10 Best Jewish NFL players of all time

  1. Kyle Kossier

Position: Guard/Tackle
Years Active: 10 (2002 to 2011)
Teams: San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys

A native of Glendale, Ariz., Kossier was pleasantly surprised to learn that he had a Jewish teammate, Igor Olshansky, when he was with the Dallas Cowboys. A 10-year NFL veteran who was the first player to have his uniform retired by Cactus High School, he converted from defensive lineman to offensive lineman while attending Arizona State.

  1. Harry Newman

Position: Quarterback
Years Active: 5 (1933 to 1937)
Teams: New York Giants, Brooklyn Tigers, Rochester Tigers.
Awards: All-American (1932)

One of the earliest quarterbacks for the New York Giants (he predated the famous Frank Gifford), Newman was the QB when the team played at the Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan before subsequently moving to Yankee Stadium, Giants Stadium and MetLife field. A native of Detroit, he won the Douglas Fairbanks Trophy for Michigan before there was a Heisman Trophy.

  1. Harris Barton

Position: Offensive Lineman
Years Active: 10 (1987 to 1996)
Team: San Francisco 49ers
Awards: NFL All-Rookie Team (1987), Pro Bowl (1993)

A native of Sandy Springs, Ga, whose parents were both from New York City, Barton was an Orthodox Jew who switched from defensive lineman to center while attending college at North Carolina, where he competed against William “Refrigerator” Perry. He graduated with a B.A. in finance and founded Champion Ventures in 1999 with seed money from numerous professional athletes. He currently runs H. Barton Asset Management. He won three Super Bowls.

  1. Ed Newman

Position: Guard
Years Active: 12 (1973 to 1984)
Team: Miami Dolphins
Awards: First-Team All-Pro (1984), Pro Bowl (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984)

A Super Bowl champion who was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Syosset, N.Y., Newman was a two-way star at Duke, where he was also on the wrestling team. He graduated with a B.S. in psychology. He attended law school at night at the University of Miami and in 1994 was elected County Court Judge in Miami. His bailiff is former Dolphins teammate Tony Nathan.

  1. Benny Friedman

Position: Quarterback
Years Active: 8 (1927 to 1934)
Teams: Cleveland Bulldogs, Detroit Wolverines, New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers.

An All-American at Michigan, Friedman played halfback, quarterback, safety, kicker, and kickoff returner, which is something we do not see from today’s super-specialized football players. He was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005 after pleading his case in an open letter to the New York Times. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, his best NFL season came when he led the Giants to a 13-1-1 record in 1929.

  1. Ron Mix

Position: Offensive Lineman
Years Active: 11 (1960 to 1969, 1971)
Teams: Los Angeles Chargers, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders
Awards: All-AFL (1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969)

A 1979 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Los Angeles native was the 10th pick of the Baltimore Colts in the 1960 NFL Draft but chose to play in the rival AFL for the Los Angeles Changers after they acquired his rights from the New England Patriots. He went on to win the 1963 AFL championship in the era before that league merged with the NFL a few years after the first Super Bowl.

  1. Jay Fiedler

Position: Quarterback
Years Active: 9 (1995, 1998 to 2005)
Teams: Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets

A native of Oceanside N.Y., who attended Dartmouth, Fiedler spent a year as a receivers coach at Hofstra University before returning to the NFL in 1998. He is best known as the quarterback who replaced Dan Marino with the Dolphins, and he threw for 11,834 career passing yards during his NFL career.

  1. Lyle Alzado

Position: Defensive End
Years Active: 15 (1971 to 1985)
Teams: Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders
Awards: First-team All-Pro (1977, 1980), Comeback Player of the Year (1982), Pro Bowl (1977, 1978)

A larger-than-life figure in the 1970s and ‘80s, the native of Brooklyn inspired the league rule against throwing a helmet after having done so to an opponent's helmet. He also boxed in an exhibition against Muhammed Ali and appeared as an actor in six motion pictures and in several television shows, most notably “MacGyver.” He eventually died of a brain tumor that he attributed to steroid abuse.

  1. Julian Edelman

Position: Wide Receiver
Years Active: 11 (2009-2020)
Team: New England Patriots
Awards: Super Bowl MVP (2018)

It helps your ranking on this list when you played with Tom Brady, let’s just say. Edelman was a wide receiver for the Patriots when they won Super Bowls in 2014, 2016, and 2018, the latter of which included a Super Bowl MVP award for catching 10 passes for 143 yards in a 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. The native of Redwood City, Calif. is the only Jewish player ever named Super Bowl MVP. He had 6,822 career receiving yards, 36 career receiving touchdowns, and four TDs as a kick returner.

  1. Sid Luckman

Position: Quarterback
Years Active: 12 (1939 to 1950)
Team: Chicago Bears
Awards: NFL MVP (1943), First-team All-Pro (1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1947), Pro Bowl (1940, 1941, 1942)

The Brooklyn, N.Y, native played without a face mask for the Chicago Bears and was known as the first great T-formation quarterback and the greatest long-range passer of his time. His cannon arm earned him 40 scholarship offers before he chose Columbia and finished third in 1938 Heisman Trophy voting. George Halas made him the second pick of the 1939 draft, and he won NFL championships in 1940, 1941, 1943 and 1946. He later coached the Bears to the NFL championship in 1963 and went on to become an early innovator in the marketing of cellophane products.

Parameters of Rankings

All rankings are subjective, but what we went for here was a list that encompassed great accomplishments on and off the gridiron, especially when factoring in the coaching and business success parts of the equation.

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