Today’s college athletics look different than ever before.

Among recent developments are Name, Image and Likeness deals, commonly referred to as NIL.

NIL allows a player to market themselves as an individual brand and profit from that marketing, which previously only their institutions were allowed to do.

For Henry Eber, a football player at Georgetown University, there was an NIL opportunity he leapt at the chance to take part in — and it’s about more than making a buck or getting his name out there.

The Blue Square Alliance Against Hate, commonly referred to as Blue Square Alliance or simply Blue Square, is a nonprofit founded by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft that aims to unite Americans against antisemitism and other forms of bigotry.

Each year, the Blue Square Alliance announces a new class of college athletes to help carry its message on campuses and beyond. Eber, a sophomore defensive end, first heard about the Blue Square Alliance on a podcast with former Jewish NFL player Julian Edelman, an integral part of the second half of Kraft’s Patriots’ dynasty. Eber knew he wanted to take part.

“I was like, ‘wow this is actually a really cool thing, this might be a great opportunity for me. I went online, did a little bit more research, and I applied,” Eber said.

A few months later, he interviewed to be a part of the program, and was extended an offer and accepted into the third cohort of Blue Square Athlete Ambassadors.

For Eber, it was a natural fit, as Judaism is an important part of his identity. Growing up, he and his family belonged to Temple Emanu-El in New York City.

“I’ve been going there my whole life. It’s a beautiful synagogue,” he said.

He was bar mitzvahed there, his sister bat mitzvahed there, and he learned a lot about his ancestry and culture at the shul.
“They taught me how to read Hebrew. I went on Mondays after school to learn Torah, and it was definitely a big part of my life. And I felt that they kind of changed my perspective of the religion and they educated us. They brought incredible people to educate us about the Holocaust, the High Holidays … it was great to be a part of something like that when I was younger,” Eber said.

As a Jew in New York City, Eber wasn’t often far from another Jew, although the football field was an exception. There is only one regulation-sized football field in Manhattan — on the campus of Columbia University. For Eber, football was a late love, and one in which he found that there isn’t a large Jewish presence.

That’s another reason joining the Blue Square Alliance matters to him.

“I had some Jewish teammates [in high school], but not many. At Georgetown, I’ve had multiple people come up to me and say I’m the first Jewish person they’ve met,” Eber said.

With the Blue Square Alliance, Eber will reach audiences he may not have otherwise. Georgetown is an FCS program, in the second tier of NCAA Division I football. In a position like that, Eber can reach football fans in the District and Georgetown alumni around the world.

At a time when antisemitism on campus is still a problem following the Oct. 7 attacks and the ongoing conflict, the Blue Square Alliance, Eber and others are doing important work. It’s early for Eber, but he’s excited to get started.

“I joined Blue Square really recently, and they kind of just started integrating me into a bunch of their stuff. It just got announced on Instagram and their social media that I’m becoming this student-athlete ambassador, and they’re rolling me into the role that they want me to do,” Eber said. “Already I’ve done a couple of interviews. They flew me to LA. They let me meet some of the other athletes and some of the other people that run the show there. So, I’m kind of just breaking into the world, and I’m hopeful to have a bigger role.”

As far as Jewish identity and exploration goes, Eber has a goal that is familiar to many college Jews: going on Birthright or even doing an internship in Israel.

“I’ve seen a lot of my friends actually go to Israel for jobs and whatnot, and I haven’t been able to participate in that,” he said.

For Eber, this is a great opportunity to continue to grow into his Judaism and advocate for his people. For the Blue Square Alliance, it’s a chance to help a young Jewish athlete in his journey through college sports.

“Blue Square has probably the best resources you can get. They’re probably the most well-known [Jewish advocacy NIL group]. They’re professional. They pack a big punch. And I think what they have to offer and what they want to do is tremendous, and a great opportunity,” Eber said.

aguckes@midatlanticmedia.com