Let’s face it, finding a Muslim player and/or coach in the National Football League (NFL) is pretty rare. In a league where you see players, whether they’re Catholic or Christian, from both teams after games huddle around midfield and kneeling down to say a prayer, you don’t often hear stories from Muslim players.
As a die-hard NFL fan since I was in middle school, I remember the Abdullah brothers, Hamza and Husain, and their story about taking part in fasting during the month of Ramadan while participating in training camp. As a former football player myself, I remember the struggle of going through a three-hour practice in the blazing summer heat with not a single piece of food or drop of water in my system. I remember doing suicides drills and almost passing out because of not eating anything and hydrating myself. I don’t know how the Abdullah brothers did it.
On Jan. 14, 2021, The New York Jets hired San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh on a five-year deal to become their next head coach, replacing Adam Gase. Some people may look at it as a regular hire but Saleh made history by becoming the first Muslim head coach in NFL history as he is of Muslim Lebanese descent.
A little background on Saleh and his journey to becoming the Jets head coach. He was a defensive assistant at the college level for Michigan State, Central Michigan and the University of Georgia before moving up to the NFL level.
He got his first coaching start in the pros with the Houston Texans as a defensive intern in 2005 and remained with the organization until 2010, where he later worked as a defensive quality control coach and assistant linebackers coach.
He went on to become the defensive quality control coach with the Seattle Seahawks from 2011 to 2013 under defensive coordinators Gus Bradley and Dan Quinn, where he would win Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks as they defeated the Denver Broncos 43-8 in Feb. 2015. He would later go on to the Jacksonville Jaguars to become their linebackers coach, reuniting with Gus Bradley, who was the head coach for the Jaguars at the time.
Saleh’s rise to fame came when he was hired to become the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers in 2017 under Kyle Shanahan, with whom Saleh worked with during their time with the Texans. The 2019 season was when Saleh’s work was recognized as the 49ers defense were sixth in forced turnovers with 27, second in total defense with 282 yards allowed per game, first in passing defense with 169 yards allowed per game and fourth in sacks with 48. The season saw the 49ers finish with a 13-3 record and clinching a berth to Super Bowl LIV, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 31-20.
If we’re speaking on football terms, the Jets hiring of Saleh is a great move. Saleh could use the lessons learned while serving under guys like Gary Kubiak, Pete Carroll and Kyle Shanahan to rebuild the culture that was lost after seeing guys like safety Jamal Adams and runningback Le’Veon Bell to the Seahawks and Chiefs, respectively and young quarterback, Sam Darnold, regressing tremendously.
Another thing to note is the positive reaction around the league by former players who Saleh has worked with, most notably cornerback Richard Sherman and offensive lineman Joe Staley
As well as a couple of notable former NFL players such as Chris Long, Andrew Hawkins and Damien Woody.
What gets lost in the shuffle in the Saleh hiring that a lot of people have missed the point in is what this means for Muslims who want to pursue a career in the NFL, especially in the coaching level.
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, Muslims have faced racism and discrimination due to the nature of the attacks, being called names and being labeled to racial stereotypes. As someone who has faced these kinds of attacks, whether it was in school or playing sports, I’ve learned to shrug it off but I can’t say the same for other Muslims in America.
There are only a few Muslims playing in the NFL, Minnesota Vikings runningback Ameer Abdullah (no relation to the Abdullah brothers) and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. As of right now, Saleh is the only known NFL coach in any level. This could give hope to Muslims who want to enter in a league that is predominantly Christian. This also shows the NFL’s progress to promote diversity in the league that has been working to increase diversity in the coaching department since Al Davis’s hiring of Art Shell as the first black head coach in the modern era.
Huge props to the New York Jets and general manager Joe Douglas for keeping an open mind through the interview process and allowed himself to get to know Saleh as the two have never met prior to the interviews. He could have done what most general managers would do and promote someone within the organization. Douglas wanted to build a winner and hire someone that has found success somewhere, in which he saw the work Saleh has done during the 49ers Super Bowl season and keeping the defense steady this season after losing their star players during the offseason and to injuries.
Although you still need the credentials and qualifications to become a head coach, in which Saleh has, it’s still amazing to see how far the league has come. This is one step to getting rid of the “first’s” in league history. This is to show that anything is possible.
There is no doubt that Saleh will turn a young Jets team around and help build a great culture that has been lacking since the Rex Ryan days. He turned an unknown project in linebacker Fred Warner into a All-Pro this year and helped develop the famous Legion of Boom defense in Seattle. He firsthand got to see what Gary Kubiak did in Houston as he rebuilt the culture there, he got to learn under a winner in Pete Carroll in Seattle and saw how going through struggles can pay off under Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco.
The Jets players are excited to play for Saleh. His former players will go through a brick wall for him. He will build great relationships with his players and coaches. I wish Robert Saleh the best of luck with the Jets.
Mohammed Fuad 