Arab American Heritage Month 2023: Palestinian Americans in the NFL

In honor of Arab American Heritage Month, we will bring awareness to the NFL’s past and current Arab players, coaches, and team management, specifically Palestinian Americans, in this article.

To kick off this month, we will identify who this month is honoring. Often Arab (air-eb) is used interchangeably with Middle-Eastern or Muslim. Some Arabs are Middle-Eastern, some are Muslim, and some are neither, one, or both. There are 22 Arab Countries (full list here) where Arabic is spoken.

The majority (if not all) of Arab representation in the NFL are Palestinian Americans and Lebanese Americans. Here are the four Palestinian Americans in the NFL, past and present.

Tarek Saleh (1997-2001)

Tarek Saleh was the first Palestinian-American athlete to play in the NFL. Born in 1974 in Woodbridge, CT, Tarek would play college ball at the University of Wisconsin. Drafted in 1994 in the fourth round, the linebacker would play for the Carolina Panthers from 1997-1998 and finished his career with the Browns from 1999-2001.

Saleh currently lives in Wisconsin with his wife and three daughters. He is a successful real estate advisor and co-hosts a talk show, “Monday Night Drive,” on ESPN Sports Radio discussing college and pro football.

Gibran Hamdan (2003, 2005-2009)

Gibran Latif Hamdan is the first Pakistani-American player in the NFL but is also of Palestinian descent. Gibran was born in San Diego, CA, in 1981 and has a little brother Bush. He moved to Kuwait when he was three years old for eight years. Hamdan traveled back to the US for a vacation with his family, staying when he was unable to return to Kuwait when his family’s home was destroyed by a military invasion.

Gibran Hamdan would play at Indiana University before being selected by Washington in the 2003 draft. The quarterback would bounce around between the NFL and the NFL Europa between 2003 and 2009, ending his career in the CFL in 2010. He would play for five NFL teams: Washington, the Seahawks (twice), the 49ers, Miami Dolphins, and the Buffalo Bills.

Hamdan is currently trying his hand at an international baseball career and is married to Jenny Grant (daughter of NFL head coach Bud Grant). Off of the baseball diamond, Gibran can either be found bonding with his family or working as an established multi-disciplinary designer and creator. Check out his website showing off his artistic wares here.

Nader Abdallah (2009)

Nader Abdallah is a low-key guy whose actions speak louder than his words. Nader was born in 1985 in New Orleans, LA, to his father, Younes and is one of three boys. A former Buckeye, the defensive tackle also played for the Baltimore Ravens in 2009.

Abdallah never got a chance to fully focus on his football career because Hurricane Katrina hit his home city during his first year at Ohio State. His coaches were sensitive to the situation, and they allowed Nader to hold his cell phone during practices in case family would call. He felt he lost himself and got lost in the shuffle because he was so worried, focusing on trouble back home.

Abdallah had plenty to worry about – his family’s store flooded during Katrina, and any goods that weren’t ruined were stolen in the aftermath of the hurricane. His family’s home also flooded, sending most of the family to Houston. The store eventually burned to the ground after people without a home were looking for warmth on a cold night and lit a fire inside that spread.

Nader’s brother, Mazen, a lawyer in Texas, claims that most Palestinians have a chip on their shoulder, feeling like they have to prove themselves and present their background in a positive light, never feeling at home anywhere because they don’t have a home country. Mazen felt that that force is what drove Nader Abdallah to re-focus post-storm and succeed on the gridiron.

The family recovered. The family home was rebuilt and sold. Nader’s brothers and father drove 22 hours after evacuating to cheer him along at a game in Columbus. Hurricane Katrina, adversity, and struggle are all strong, but the Abdallah spirit is stronger.

Oday Aboushi (2013-Current)

Oday Aboushi was born in 1991 in Brooklyn, New York. His parents, Eman and Ahmad, were immigrants from Beit Hanini, a Palestinian neighborhood in Jerusalem. Oday has nine siblings, most notably his sister Tahanie. Ms. Aboushi is a civil rights lawyer and was a Democratic candidate in the 2021 Manhattan DA election. Tahanie talks about the difficulties her family experienced when her father was incarcerated for 22 years when she was a young teen. Oday was seven. Not one to be held down by his circumstances, Oday was determined to succeed.

The offensive guard would do well at the University of Virginia, starting 37 of the 43 games he played in. Aboushi is a gentle giant (off the field) at 6’6′ and 315 pounds. He has played for eight different teams during his 10-year career, an impressive number of years playing in such a physically challenging position. Oday was drafted by the Jets and played for them for three seasons before facing a one-game suspension due to tests coming back positive for schmeed, and getting released.

Aboushi appears to get an injury every time he has a good gig for a new team. The 31-year-old did face another suspension last season playing for the LA Rams when he punched Broncos Randy Gregory but only got a penalty because he was punched in the helmet first.

It will be interesting to see which team we find Oday on next season! There are still a few teams he hasn’t played for left.

Oday Aboushi uses his platform as a professional football player to bring awareness to his culture and the experiences of Palestinians worldwide. He speaks about his trip to the West Bank and his experience visiting refugee camps and speaking with orphan children, taken aback by the injustices done to Palestinians there, such as checkpoints enforced by the Israeli military.

The NFL player is reminded regularly that he serves as a role model for many young Palestinian American children. He accepted an invitation to speak at the El Bireh Society Convention in 2013, an event bringing together Palestinian Americans that has been described as cultural networking, discussing his childhood and path to the NFL.

Oday experienced significant backlash for attending this event, being called an anti-Semitic Muslim extremist. The Jewish NGO, the Anti-Defamation League, immediately defended him, saying his pride in his Palestinian American background does not make him Anti-Semitic or a religious extremist. Aboushi doesn’t allow such ignorant prejudice to keep him down, although it hurts him and his family tremendously.

Aboushi doesn’t just focus on the racism experienced by the Palestinian community; he also stands by his African-American teammates, engaging in team protests in response to Jacob Blake, a black man shot by a police officer in 2020. He also never forgets where he came from – jumping to help his home city, Staten Island, after New York was hit by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Oday Aboushi is one of the few practicing Muslims in the NFL – after moving to Detroit, he volunteered to help provide iftar, a Muslim feast partaken in to break the fast during Ramadan, to local mosques and families. He fasts during Ramadan, even throughout football training camps.

Looking to help provide mosque/ families with iftar in the detriot area. Dm/ tweet me with with locations/ information please and thank you!

— Oday Aboushi (@Oday_Aboushi76) May 18, 2019

We appreciate your dedication to all aspects of your life, Oday; thank you for being such an important role model for the Palestinian American community and beyond!

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