Jake Retzlaff makes history at BYU as first Jewish quarterback (Exclusive)

• Jake Retzlaff has made history at Brigham Young University as the first Jewish quarterback in program history
• The California native proudly wears a Star of David necklace under his soccer gear
• Now eyeing the NFL, he recently secured a NIL deal with Manischewitz, the kosher food manufacturer

On the fourth night of Hanukkah, Jake Retzlaff and his BYU teammates will take on Deion Sanders’ Colorado at the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio.

The Jewish quarterback — who began his college career at two different junior colleges in California before the Cougars came calling — is enjoying every second of every snap, but as fans can attest, it’s hardly a miracle.

“I’m excited about it,” Retzlaff, 21, tells PEOPLE exclusively about playing on the holiday, then adds with a laugh, “Somebody’s probably going to make a big deal out of it, so I don’t want to.”

He continues, “But yeah, I mean, it’s going to be a blast. I actually played on Yom Kippur this year (against Arizona) and we won, so that must have been a sign.”

BYU fans will take it. The team, which went 10-2 this season and 7-2 in conference play, seemingly exceeded expectations in its second season in the Big 12.

While they just made the playoffs, Retzlaff says he’s looking forward to another chance next year.

“A lot of people who thought we should have gotten in, who thought our resumes showed more than where we ended up,” he tells PEOPLE. “But this team is a top 12 team. I believe that. I believe if you put us in that playoff, we’ll show up and play well. So I’m excited for that opportunity next year.”

This season, Retzlaff found his groove, leading the team at QB after starting the final four games of 2023 — and it all coincided with worldwide attention he received for not only being a Jewish quarterback, but being a Jewish quarterback at a Mormon school.

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“The first time I realized I had to be me was in high school, when everyone was obviously trying to figure out who they are,” Retzlaff says, describing his experience playing ball in Corona, Calif., where he and brother Reggie was. first known as athletes, not necessarily for being Jewish athletes.

A friend inspired Retzlaff, a Reform Jew who had a bar mitzvah, to be proud of his heritage.

“I had this chain,” he says, pulling his David Star necklace around to face the camera on a Zoom call, “And now I wear it everywhere all the time. But a friend of mine who ended up playing safety at Idaho State, said, ‘Jake, man, you know what I mean? Don’t be scared and stuff.’

He continues, “And it was like I owed it to him. You know what I mean? All the things that come from that, just being yourself. And then from then on, it was like, I just wanted to be a 100% unapologetic me, and believe me, the guys in the locker room, they know it, and they’ve seen it. So it’s been fun to just embrace it and be me. And I think it’s great because I think it is fantastic, the positive feedback from people around the world.”

In the midst of a time of increased anti-Semitism, messages from all over the world have reached Retzlaff.

“Things that say, ‘Hey dude, keep being Jewish,'” he says. “And I’m like, like, dude, it’s crazy what’s come out of it. And not that it wasn’t my intention, but it wasn’t something I had on my mind to be inspirational and stuff. For me it was like, I’m just going to be me and see what comes of it, and all the positivity has been incredible.”

The signal-caller says his teammates have embraced him for who he is — and the feeling is mutual.

“I mean, coming to a place like BYU where it’s religious, it makes it super easy to be religious, what’s going on around you,” he tells PEOPLE. “And so for me it was cool to grow a little bit in my faith when I came here. But also at the same time you get the questions from the guys who are very curious around here and just wonder about my faith. And it’s cool, because I wasn’t very familiar with the LDS faith either. And so for me it was kind of shooting those same questions back at them and kind of figuring out the nuances and learning from them at the same time.”

Retzlaff, who has an eye on one day making it in the NFL, recently inked a NIL deal with Manischewitz, the kosher food company known for its wine, matzoh and other Jewish holidays.

All of which means there might just be a few extra of his mom’s latkes on the table at home in California after the bowl game.

“The cool part is that I come home for the end of Hanukkah, the last half of it,” he tells PEOPLE. “And then it’s nice. Just being home for the holidays is fun, and it’s always good to be back with the family.”