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First Quarterback

Sponsored Project

  • Jeremy Gantz, Director
  • Richard Rosen, Producer
Black and white photo of Sid holding his son Bobby. They are in front of a poster of Bobby as a quarterback.

About the Project

In a time when anti-Semitism is again raising its ugly head around the world, "The First Quarterback" looks back to an era of even greater intolerance, when an unlikely Jewish hero gave hope and pride to a generation of Jews facing organized anti-Semitism at home and annihilation abroad.

Based on R. D. Rosen’s groundbreaking book, Tough Luck: Sid Luckman, Murder Inc., and the Rise of the Modern NFL, "The First Quarterback" tells for the very first time the story of Sid Luckman, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants in Brooklyn who overcame numerous obstacles to become one of the most famous athletes in America. As the Holocaust unfolded overseas, Luckman helped revive the struggling sport of professional football in the 1940s and became a cherished symbol of courage, dignity, and Jewish resilience.

Yet behind Luckman’s public legacy lay a horrifying family tragedy, a deeply buried secret that he carried in silence for the rest of his life. Through rare archival footage and more than 30 intimate interviews, "The First Quarterback" honors one of the greatest Jewish athletes in American history and explores the ordeal of immigrant identity and Jewish survival in America.