NEW ORLEANS — Jake Retzlaff is embracing some new nicknames.“BYJew” is an endearment of the past. Now, “Kosher Cannon,” “Shabbat Shotgun” and “Bayou Jew” are among the monikers mentioned by the sizeable Jewish community at Retzlaff’s new school, Tulane.It’s a fresh start for Retzlaff, but one the former BYU quarterback wasn’t necessarily seeking until May, when he was named in a since-dismissed civil sexual assault lawsuit.Retzlaff maintains that he loved playing for the Cougars, despite being one of very few Jews on BYU’s predominantly Mormon campus in Provo, Utah.“BYU was an amazing place. It made me into an amazing human being. I feel like it helped me grow in so many ways on and especially off the field,” Retzlaff said, wearing a Star of David on a chain around his neck. “It helped me connect stronger with my faith than I did before, because I was in a place where it was so faith-oriented that it was just right in front of you.”Retzlaff went 11-2 as a starter for a 2024 BYU team that finished the season at No. 13 in the final AP Top 25 Poll.His decision to withdraw came while he reportedly faced a suspension for acknowledging what he described as a consensual sexual relationship while defending himself against the lawsuit. The university’s honor code requires students to abstain from premarital sex.Speaking on Friday for the first time since arriving at Tulane about a week ago, Retzlaff declined to address the factors that led him to leave BYU, where he spent the past two years.“I …
