In honor of Arab American Heritage Month 2023, we have discussed Arab Americans in the NFL. Arab representation in the league appears to have come from two ethnic groups only – Palestinians and Lebanese Americans. We discussed all current and former Palestinian Americans in the NFL here and former and current Lebanese American franchise executives and coaches here.
For the last edition, we will discuss current and former Lebanese American players in the league. This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all former and current Lebanese American NFL players, but it’s pretty darn close. Don’t see your favorite Lebanese American player here? They were likely a coach or football executive and player and were featured in last week’s article.
Lebanese American QBs
Jimmy Jemail is assumed to be the first Lebanese American player in the NFL. Manuel James Jemail was born in Byblos, Lebanon in 1893. Jemail attended Brown University before playing for the New York Brickley Giants in 1921 as their QB. Jimmy was a petite quarterback at 5’6′ and 165 pounds. Little else is known about Jimmy Jemail. Thanks for trailblazing, Mr. Jemail!
Doug Flutie with his wife Laurie and children Doug Jr. and Alexa – Heisman.com
Doug Flutie was born in Manchester, Maryland, to parents Dick and Joan in 1962. Doug’s paternal great-grandparents were Lebanese, and Flutie is actually a popular last name in Beirut. The successful Boston College Eagle quarterback was the Heisman Trophy winner in 1984. Channeling his inner Jimmy Jemail, Doug Flutie was also a short king at 5’10’ and 180 pounds.
His slight stature was discouraging to NFL franchises, and despite his talent, many people overlooked Flutie in the draft. The young man was drafted in the 11th round of the 1985 draft and decided to turn down the NFL offer for a USFL contract with the New Jersey Generals. Doug knew how to sell himself and became the highest-paid rookie in all sports that year.
Flutie’s USFL career would be short-lived, and his debut into the NFL was similarly unsuccessful. Never one to succumb to life circumstances, Doug would join the CFL and is known as one of the best CFL QBs of all time, named the Most Outstanding Player six times in his eight seasons, and was the first non-Canadian to be inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.
Doug Flutie would return to the NFL, and although he did well, he never consistently played on one team and was often a backup. In his final NFL game, Doug drop-kicked an extra point for the first time since 1941—an incredible play for a remarkable player.
Flutie loved the game of football, and that didn’t end with his retirement in 2006. Doug would do college football commentary for ABC, ESPN, and NBC. He also had his own football video game, was on Dancing with the Stars, and owned a restaurant in New York.
He has a football personal-life-infused podcast named Flutie Flakescast. The show is named after the cereal Doug Flutie created and sold to raise money for the foundation his family created to improve the quality of everyday life for people with autism and their loved ones.
Family has always been number one in Doug’s life. He was raised in an incredibly loving family with his older brother Bill and sister Denise, and his younger brother Darren. Flutie’s younger brother Darren was also a CFL star, and Doug has two nephews who were also players at Boston College. It looks like that talent was genetic!
Doug married his high school sweetheart, Laurie, and they had two children, Doug Jr. and Alexa, a former NFL cheerleader for two different franchises. In 2015, Doug Flutie lost both of his parents from heart attacks one hour apart from each other in 2015. Life has been tough for Flutie, but he has always been tougher. Doug is now a proud grandfather.
Jeff George (far left) and Jeff George Jr. (in the orange) – 247 Sports
Jeff George is held in high esteem in Indianapolis sports history, debatably, one of the most meaningful Arab American athletes in the city. He was born in Indy in 1967 to parents David George and Judith Smith George, both of Lebanese descent. He is one of their three boys.
Jeff started his reputation as a gifted player in the city during his high school years, winning the pride of his city and his community with awards like High School Athlete of the Year and National Football Player of the Year. George was a multi-sport athlete excelling at baseball and basketball, but football was his calling.
George would go on to play at Purdue University and the University of Illinois and was the first pick in the 1990 NFL draft. He would be offered the highest-value contract for an NFL rookie at the time (channeling his inner Doug Flutie).
The skill that Jeff showed in high school and college didn’t translate well to the NFL. The QB would play for seven teams in 16 seasons, often plagued with disagreements with head coaches, sometimes public ones, and injuries. Some career highlights were his nomination as the QB for the 1990 NFL rookie team and leading the Atlanta Falcons to the playoffs in 1995.
Jeff George struggled emotionally with leaving the game before he felt ready. He spoke of coming back in both 2007 and 2010 but ultimately didn’t. George has laid low since retirement, occasionally appearing on NFL Total Access. He also gifted us with Jeff George Jr. who also was talented on the gridiron, playing QB at his dad’s alma mater, the University of Illinois.
Lebanese American Centers
Hicham El-Mashtoub
Hicham was born in 1972 in Beirut, Lebanon and was a Canadian citizen. He played college ball at the University of Arizona, and was drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1995, as well as being selected in the 1995 CFL draft. El-Mashtoub would play two seasons with the Houston Oilers and one year in the CFL.
Hicham El-Mashtoub was a force to be reckoned with – @drewpixels/Twitter)
Thoughts are sent to the El-Mashtoub family, as Hicham died at age 49 in 2021 of Cancer in Quebec, Canada.
Ryan Kalil
Ryan Kalil was born in Tucson, AZ, to Frank and Cheryl Kalil. Ryan is of Lebanese and Mexican descent and is one of the three Kalil children. His brother Matt is also on this list, and his sister Danielle sang the national anthem at an NFL game in 2013, where both her brothers played. Ryan inherited gridiron greatness from his father, who was in the NFL and USFL.
Kalil played center as a USC Trojan and was selected in the second round of the 2007 draft by the Carolina Panthers – the first Center selected in the draft. Ryan remained on the Panther roster up until 2019, playing consistently well for the team, struggling with injuries at times. Ryan Kalil would play for the NY Jets in 2019 but was injured for the majority of the season. He would retire after 13 years in the league.
Lebanese talent x 3. The Panthers-Vikings game in 2013 where Danielle Kalil sang (NFL Films/YouTube).
The former quarterback has dabbled in the film industry, is an author, and was developing a podcast in 2022 with Vince Vaughn and Greg Olsen named Audiorama. Ryan is currently living in California with his wife Natalie of 15 years and their four children.
Ryan Kalil has recently invested in a new franchise in the National Women’s Soccer League. Kalil has also started the Kalil Family Foundation with his wife, which focuses on Lupus research, and living life with Lupus. The foundation also focuses on ending homelessness in the US and beyond.
Patrick Mekari was born in California in 1997 to immigrant parents of Armenian, Iranian, and Lebanese descent. The former California Golden Bear is an OT, brought on to the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2019. Patrick was thriving in Maryland and signed a three-year contract extension with the Ravens in 2021. Mekari came into his own in 2021 when he was the starting right tackle for the majority of the season.
Patrick Mekari – Terrance Williams/AP
Other Lebanese American players
Andrew George Haddad was born to George and Joyce Haddad in Ohio in 1978. He has one brother, Eric, who also was a collegiate football player.
Multiple colleges attempted to recruit Haddad as a defensive back because they didn’t believe he had what it took to be a wide receiver. Drew stuck to his guns and went to the University of Buffalo as a WR. This clearly was the right choice, as he was drafted into the University of Buffalo Athletic Hall of Fame.
Drew’s career in the NFL was short. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the 2000 NFL draft and played for four teams in 5 seasons, only on the gridiron for two games in those seasons.
Lebanese American Drew Haddad in high school – Saint Ignatius High School/YouTube
Drew Haddad married his wife of 20 years, Colleen O’Neil in 2002. He married into a football family – Collen’s father was a coach and former NFL player, and Colleen’s brother also played in the NFL. Keep up with Drew and his adorable family of six on his twitter.
Brian Habib, our lone redhead on the list (red beards don’t count, Ryan), was born in Ellensburg, WA, in 1964.
Habib would graduate from the University of Washington and be drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 1988. Brian narrowly escaped the cutting block and switched from the defensive line to the offensive line, something he describes as a dramatic transition.
Brian Habib (75) talking to coach Alex Gibbs on the sideline (Eric Bakke). Habib was on the Broncos with another Lebanese talent, John Elway.
The Offensive tackle/guard would play 12 seasons in the NFL. Five seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, five seasons with the Denver Broncos, and two seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. It was a tough decision for Habib, but he decided to listen to his body and not return to football when the Seahawks didn’t offer a contract extension.
Brian speaks to the importance of having a backup plan because a career in the NFL is fleeting, making a point of graduating and obtaining his insurance and real estate license. He is currently a successful realtor in San Diego with his wife and four kids. Brian Habib gives back to the football community by helping coach his son’s football team.
Matthew Francis Kalil is probably currently best known for his messy split with his ex-wife Haley and something to do with Jeffree Star. The details of the split are unclear, but a word of advice, Matt, don’t go for your wife’s sister. It seems like that may be a valuable lesson you can take away from this fiasco.
Matt Kalil being selected in the 2012 NFL draft – Al Bello/Getty Images
Although a questionable husband, Matt is an incredible brother and teammate, he was born in California in 1989 and is Ryan Kalil’s (above on the list) little brother. Matt would follow in Ryan’s footsteps by also playing college ball at USC.
The brothers may have come into the NFL at different times, but they both left at the end of the 2019 season. Matt was considered one of the best prospective OT”s in the 2012 NFL draft and was picked in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings. Kalil’s eight seasons in the league with three different teams were rather unremarkable, and he struggled with injuries that likely contributed to his retirement. At least he didn’t have to make the transition out of the league alone.
Bill George – LB
Bill George is the lone Lebanese American player on this list on the defensive side of the ball. Bill was born in 1929 in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.
Bill George in uniform – Chicago Bears
George was credited with being the first middle linebacker in NFL history and was thought to be one of the best LBs in the league, according to HOF Art Donovan. Bill was also described as one of the meanest Chicago Bears ever, a true achievement. George would play with the Chicago Bears from 1952 to 1965 and finished his career with one year with the LA Rams.
The middle linebacker was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1974, joining other middle LBs like Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, and Brian Urlacher.
Unfortunately, we lost Bill George too soon. He was killed in a car accident in 1982 at age 52 and is buried in Barrington, Illinois.
Lebanese American Bill George in his induction into the HOF in 1974 – AP
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