Jay Fiedler led the miami Dolphins to the second round of the
NFL playoffs.

By MARVIN GLASSMAN Special to the CJN

Jay Fiedler became the pride of North American Jews this month
for his achievement in sports. The quarterback of the National
Football League Miami Dolphins led his team to the second round of
the NFL playoffs, the first Jew to become a starting quarterback
since the legendary Sid Luckman earned Hall of Fame honors with the
Chicago Bears from 1939 to 1950.

To the team, Fiedler is a reincarnated Luckman with the
leadership skills of Bill Clinton rolled into one remarkable
athlete. The 28-year-old quarterback from Long Island led to the
Miami Dolphins finish as one of the elite NFL teams with a 12-6
win-loss record. This past season, Fiedler overcame injuries to
himself and his receiving corps and the retirement of legendary
quarterback Dan Marino to dazzle fans and local sportswriters who
anticipated the Dolphins to finish last in the league.

“Jay is a smart guy who makes good decisions in a game. The way
he asks questions, he’s always thinking ahead. He sees the big
picture,” says quarterback coach Mike Shula.

The big picture is to win the Super Bowl. Despite the fact that
Fiedler fell three victories short of a Super Bowl ring, his feats
are leading the Dolphins to the hope that next season will end with
a Super Bowl win. Fiedler proved his worth in his first game back
from a neck injury on Dec. 3 against the Buffalo Bills. Fiedler
passed for three touchdowns (a career high for him) for 214 yards
in a 33-6 thrashing of the Bills. In this victory, Fiedler set a
new Dolphins record of not throwing an interception for five
consecutive games.

Following his standout game against Buffalo, Fiedler suffered a
left shoulder (non-throwing) injury in the Dec. 10 game against
Tampa Bay. Despite a strong effort by the defense, the Dolphins
were defeated 16-13 by the Buccaneers and followed up with a 20-13
loss to the Indianapolis Colts because Fiedler was still feeling
the setbacks from a sore shoulder.

Fiedler has worked all his life for a chance just to be a
starter in the National Football League. When the Dolphins signed
Fiedler to a three-year, $3.8 million contract last February as
heir to the retired Dan Marino, Fiedler seized the season to prove
that he finally arrived. Had he not led the Dolphins to their 12-6
record, Fiedler probably would have ended his dream of playing
football.

Fiedler grew up in an athletic family with his father, Ken,
serving as a basketball coach at Springfield Gardens High School in
New York. As a teen, Fiedler played basketball in the North
American Maccabi Games. He went on to Dartmouth University and
earned an engineering degree while setting school passing records
in leading his team to a 21-7 win-loss record. After graduating in
1994, Fiedler was passed over in the NFL draft and was signed as a
free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles as their third
quarterback.

Fiedler returned to the NFL as the backup quarterback for the
Minnesota Vikings in 1998. He then backed up quarterback Mark
Brunell for the Jacksonville Jaguars. When given a chance to start
a game, he showed he belonged in the NFL.

“The biggest thing that I tell kids when they see me is what I
said to myself. If you have a dream, go after it with all your
heart. And don’t let anyone tell you differently,” said
Fiedler.

“A lot of people thought (I didn’t) that a Jewish guy wouldn’t
even start playing football for a living,” says Fiedler. “My
parents were encouraging.

“I have always been proud of my Jewish heritage,” adds Fiedler,
who often walks in the Dolphins training facility wearing a gray
“Jewish Sports Hall of Fame” T-shirt.

“Jay’s a great Jewish role model because of his wholesomeness,”
said Alan Posner, CEO of Meridian USA Holdings, who is on the board
of directors of Chabad of South Florida and the Jewish National
Fund. “He has the right priorities for me – a kid who loves his
family and a strong bond with education. He is one of the very few
athletes that kids can look up to and truly emulate.”

Fiedler’s efforts and determination may never equal the legend
of Marino – but his never-quit attitude has made the Dolphins
believe him to be on the threshold of winning the Super Bowl next
season – a feat that even the great Marino could not achieve.