SportsPulse: Josh Rosen, the most polarizing quarterback in this year's draft, discusses the "millennial" narrative, details what he wants in a coach, reacts to former coach Jim Mora's comments and more. USA TODAY Sports
Corrections and clarifications: In an earlier version of this story, a different year was listed for the first NFL draft. It was in 1936.
On Thursday, Josh Rosen is expected to end an obscure but notable sports drought: It has been 79 years since the first and last Jewish quarterback was picked in the first round of the NFL draft.
That was Sid Luckman, selected No. 2 overall by the Chicago Bears in 1939.
Rosen, who played at UCLA, is widely projected to be taken among the first 10 picks of the 2018 NFL draft.
Rosen’s father is Jewish, and his mother is Christian. He attended a Catholic high school, St. John Bosco in Southern California. But he had a bar mitzvah and he identifies as Jewish.
“That’s pretty much the primary consideration for inclusion,’’ said Ron Kaplan, author of Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He later added by email, “Here's wishing him mazel tov (good luck).’’
Jeremy Fine, a rabbi at Temple of Aaron in St. Paul, Minn., who also writes about Jews in sports, said Rosen has created a buzz in the Jewish community.
“Oh, absolutely,’’ Fine said. “I get emails all the time — ‘Did you see this kid?’ Yeah, I’ve been following him since high school.’’
Luckman was a Hall-of-Famer who led the Bears to four NFL championships. And so Jews and fans of the NFL team that picks Rosen naturally will wonder: Can he take us to the Promised Land?
Follow Peter on Twitter @joshlpeter11
