BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff brings touchdowns and Jewish teachings to predominantly Mormon school

Associated Press

PROVO, Utah (AP) — This year’s successful 9-1 football season for Brigham Young University, the Utah private school run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has an unexpected player at the helm: its first Jewish quarterback. Jake Retzlaff, a junior college transfer, has earned a hero’s embrace by rabbis and others in the tiny but tight-knit Jewish community in Provo while also becoming a favorite of the large fan base that lovingly calls him the “BYJew.” The starting quarterback has used his newfound stardom to shine a spotlight on his own faith at a school where 98.5% of students are members of the faith known widely as the Mormon church.