U. of Nebraska long snapper will play, won’t eat on Yom Kippur
'I spoke with my rabbi and with God by myself,' says college footballer Jordan Ober. 'I do not want to let my teammates down'
In American college football, the long snapper for the University of Nebraska will take the field but fast when the Cornhuskers host Northwestern on Friday night, the start of Yom Kippur.
A colorful Chicago Tribune profile published Thursday details Jordan Ober’s Jewish rituals, such as reciting the Shema prayer before each snap for a field goal or punt. His towel bears the Hebrew phrase “Hineni,” meaning “Here I am.”
“I am very serious about my religion, but I am also serious about my job,” Ober told the Tribune. “I spoke with my rabbi and with God by myself. I do not want to let my teammates down.”
Earlier Friday, Dudi Sela, Israel’s top-ranked men’s singles tennis player, quit mid-game at the Wuhan Open in China on Friday due to the imminent start of Yom Kippur.