It's hard to imagine a Hasidic Jew playing in the NFL. Picture it: a linebacker — tefillin painted on his helmet, bushy beard hanging out of his facemask — roaming the field, perhaps saying a quick "baruch atah" after every tackle...

So why no Hasids in the NFL? Blame the NCAA! To play in the NFL, one must play in college beforehand. And in college, they play on Saturdays. No Hasid would ever do that. Oh, how many dreams of high school Hasidic football stars were squashed by the caprices of NCAA scheduling!

Of course, nothing is stopping someone from becoming a Hasidic Jew AFTER their stint in the NFL. Which is exactly what Alan Veingrad did.

In the NFL, he was a backup lineman for the Packers and Cowboys, even winning a Super Bowl ring with the latter. Now, he's Shlomo Veingrad, a self-described "professional speaker, motivator, entertainer". And a Hasidic Jew.

It's too bad he didn't do it the other way around, though. We'd have loved to see his touchdown celebration dance.