Sam Salz (American football)
Sam Salz is an American football wide receiver who joined the Texas A&M Aggies as a walk-on. Born around 2002 in Philadelphia, he is known for being an orthodox Jewish player in NCAA Division I. Salz is 5 ft 6 in tall and weighs about 160 lb.
He did not play organized football in high school or middle school because his school, Kohelet Yeshiva High School in Philadelphia, did not have a football program. In 2022 he enrolled at Texas A&M to study economics and hoped to join the football team, but the team’s rules required high school football experience to try out. So Salz practiced by himself near the practice field for almost a year, making makeshift cones and studying the drills. He kept notes on the team’s routines and trained for several hours a day.
His dedication paid off when coaches noticed him, and he earned a roster spot as a walk-on and trained as a wide receiver. Salz wears jersey number 39, which has a Sabbath-related meaning for him. He also wears a Chabad kippah under his helmet and tzitzit under his jersey. Because he keeps Shabbat, he could only play in Saturday-night games.
In 2023 he was described as possibly the first orthodox Jewish Division I football player. He studied economics and hoped to be drafted into the NFL and become a motivational speaker. He trained alongside Muslim players who observe Ramadan, with the team adjusting practices to accommodate them.
In the 2024 season, Salz finally played in a game during his senior year. With 42 seconds left in a night game against New Mexico State, he entered on special teams for a kickoff—the first time he played competitive football at any level.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 16:07 (CET).