Keep your eyes out for these pro-footballers
By Harvey Rosen

Several noteworthy developments have unfolded in 2005 as far as Jews in pro football are concerned.
The Minnesota Vikings franchise was purchased by Zygmunt Wilf, 55, believed to be the first Orthodox owner of a major sports team. The gentleman is an attorney and real estate developer from New Jersey who is, according to a newsletter published by Yeshiva University, a leading philanthropist and proponent of Jewish causes throughout the world.  In the Vikings' executive structure, Wilf is an owner chairman. 
Also of significance was that 10-year-veteran signal caller Jay Fiedler was released by the Miami Dolphins during the winter and signed by the N.Y Jets.
The 33-year-old Oceanside, N.Y. native, who starred at Dartmouth for three years in the early 90s, was signed by the Jets to act as a backup for the younger Chad Pennington.  Fiedler, 6', 2", 225 lbs., who passed for more career yards than any other former Ivy League QB in NFL history, other than the legendary Jewish star Sid Luckman, is primarily insurance for Pennington who is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery.
Fiedler's best years are, of course, behind him but the former Eagle, Viking, and Jaguar is still highly respected as an NFL quarterback and was described by one maven as being "quietly efficient, and a chess master of football."
It is instructive to note that Fiedler's career record as a starter vs. his new team, the Jets, is 3-6. Against the rest of the league the second cousin to Arthur Fiedler of Boston Pops Fame is 34-17. 
Left behind in Miami, a former backup to Fiedler, is Sage Rosenfels, 27, out of Iowa State. The former Washington Redskin, whose dad is Jewish, has been in the pros for five years and has yet to earn employment as a starter. Sage has size on his side at 6, 4" and 220 lbs. but is described as lacking mobility and having a sometimes-inaccurate arm that has earned him the back-up tag.
Center and offensive guard Lennie Friedman, 28, out of Duke University, stands 6' 3" and tips the scales at 285. Following four years with the Broncos, Friedman is starting his third year as a Washington Redskin. The Livingston, N.J. native, who has his bachelor's degree in psychology, earned three letters in football, two in basketball and three in track and field. 
Minnesota boasts two huge Jewish linemen who both stand 6" 7" and weigh over 300 lbs. Mike Rosenthal, 28, an offensive right tackle out of Notre Dame and Adam Goldberg, 25, an offensive left guard who is a Wyoming grad. They are listed as starters on a very good Vikings' squad. Rosenthal's season ended following two games in early September last year after breaking his right foot in his team's loss to Philadelphia in a Monday Night game. Goldberg, after being on the team's practice squad two years ago, played in 13 contests last season.
Mike Seidman, 24, is back for his third season at tight end with the Carolina Panthers. The 6, 4", 260-pounder out of UCLA played last season in all 16 of his team's games. Mike is described as having "good hands and is a smart player." His shortcoming is apparently a lack of speed and he has to improve his footwork as a blocker to see more time. The sociology major was a USA Today first-team all American in college.
Punter Josh Miller, 35, who graduated from Arizona with a degree in communications, spent eight years with the Steelers in Pittsburgh. The left-footed kicker also played a pair of seasons in the Canadian Football League with the now-defunct Baltimore Stallions where he was twice an all-star. Josh is now in his second season with the New England Patriots and especially enjoyed his initial campaign as a Super Bowl winner. The 6'4", 225 lb kicker was instrumental in the title win while being described as a "big upgrade at punter, showing a strong leg and exceptional directional-kicking ability."
San Diego Chargers' defensive end Igor Olshansky, 6'6", 309 lbs. played and started in all 16 of his team's games last season in his rookie year. The 23-year-old Oregon State grad who was drafted in the second round (35th overall) is a Jewish immigrant who at age seven came with his family to North America from the Ukraine. He was described by one pro weekly "as not much of a factor in the pass rush, but his impressive strength and leverage helped him stalemate offensive linemen and free up the team's linebackers to flow to the ball." No surprise there since he bench-pressed a team record 505 lbs. at Oregon.
Two Jewish players are toiling in the CFL this season. One is the Argonauts' Ottawa-born lineman Noah Cantor, 6' 4", 270, who is in his 13th season in the pros. The 34-year-old boasts four Grey Cup rings, three with Toronto and one with the British Columbia Lions. 
The other, a late August acquisition by the Edmonton Eskimos, kicker-punter Hayden Epstein is 6'2", 205. The native of San Diego was drafted out of Michigan by Jacksonville of the NFL in 2002; then claimed on waivers by the Vikings who later released him. Last year he tried out with Denver and ended up playing in NFL Europe. Epstein, doing well in the early going, appears to be a kicking upgrade for the Esks.

Harvey Rosen is sports editor of The Jewish Post & News in Winnipeg.