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The Daily OrangeFB | Leap of faith
Jawad Nesheiwat embraces his Middle Eastern heritage in his 6th year playing college football
By Bill Palka
Posted: 9/24/07, 10:39 PM EST Section: Sports
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Some still call him J.J. but he's known as Jawad by the media and the common fan. Fellow tight end on the Syracuse football team and roommate Arthur Kapalanga is one of those who still calls him J.J. He also calls him "The Franchise," for reasons none other than giving his friend an iconic nickname.
"Sometimes, I call him Jawad Jawad," Kapalanga said. "The two J's really don't make any sense."
As a name, J.J. doesn't stand for anything. Jawad - his birth name - does.
"A lot of people were calling me J.J.," Nesheiwat said. "They didn't know where my ethnic background came from. I just wanted to show the community that there are Arab football players playing out there."
Nesheiwat is in his sixth year of eligibility, with Syracuse being the third school he has attended. After getting redshirted twice in his career and walking on at SU, the senior tight end has finally stepped into a starting role. He's also fully embracing his heritage.
Growing up, Nesheiwat spoke both Arabic and English with his family at home and can still hold conversations in both languages. Kapalanga has heard him speak Arabic and can decipher a few choice words.
"Mostly curse words, to tell you the truth, I understand," Kapalanga said.
Nesheiwat is a first-generation born American whose parents were born and raised in Jordan. The nation's black, red, white and green flag hangs in Nesheiwat's room and pictures of his family from the country remind him of his roots. He has been to Jordan on four separate occasions.
"It's awesome," Nesheiwat said of his parents' home country. "A lot of people think it's different over there, but it really isn't. They're starting to be more westernized like we are."
Nesheiwat is not the only member of the SU football team who has been in that region of the Middle East recently. This past summer, senior wide receiver Max Meisel traveled to Israel to connect with own background. Israel is directly west of Jordan, but even with the similarities in geographic location, Meisel and Nesheiwat do not exactly share the same customs.
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