Earlier this year, Dillon was traded to the Eagles from the Green Bay Packers, where he played since he was drafted in 2020. The athlete has been very vocal in the past about his Jewish upbringing and identity, and tried to break down stereotypes about Jews in a 2021 TikTok video that went viral. The New London, Connecticut, native shared in a YouTube interview three years ago that he went to Hebrew school before shifting focus to his football career. “All my life up to that point had been Hebrew school, had been Judaism. My entire family, on that side of the family, is all Jewish and practicing and all, observed every holiday and everything,” he said.
Philadelphia Eagles Running Back AJ Dillon Discusses How to Balance Jewish Identity, NFL Career
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by Shiryn Ghermezian
Tampa Bay, Florida, USA, Sept. 28, 2025, Philadelphia Eagles player AJ Dillon #29 at Raymond James Stadium. Photo: Marty Jean-Louis/Sipa USA
Philadelphia Eagles running back AJ Dillon talked to students at the University of Pennsylvania about the struggles of balancing his Jewish faith with the grueling schedule of his NFL career during an event hosted by Penn Hillel on Monday.
“I think there’s no perfect answer,” Dillon, 27, said during the event, as reported by the student-led newspaper The Daily Pennsylvanian. “The schedule can get hectic, but I think it’s trial and error with trying to figure out what works, and that might change in a couple months or a year as the season goes on.”
Dillon noted on Monday that his Jewish journey “wasn’t necessarily linear.”
“My mom’s side of my family is Jewish, and we did all the traditions and everything growing up. But once I started to get more into sports … [the] schedule gets a little busier,” he explained. He added that while “balancing faith” and his NFL career can be “challenging,” he tries to “be mindful of the things that are important.”
Monday’s event was moderated by Hillel co-[resident Ethan Farber and Wharton sophomore Orly Sedransk. The event was part of Penn Hillel’s new Jackie Reses Speaker Series, which will feature a conversation with Jewish writer and director Jesse Eisenberg on Nov. 20.
After Monday’s event, Dillon talked to The Daily Pennsylvanian and urged Jewish students to harness their Jewish faith and community to help them succeed.
“The great thing about being part of the Jewish community is you have a sense of belonging,” he said. “The reality is there’s not as many Jewish athletes. It’s always great when you are able to do something, no matter how big or how small, and have a platform.”
