It was announced Jan. 27, that Zevi Eckhaus was awarded the Dolph Schayes Outstanding Performance by a Jewish Athlete Award. Eckhaus will be presented the award Feb. 1, 2026.
Eckhaus was a bright spot for the Cougars both on the field and off the field, he was vocal about Cougar fans after the Ole Miss game and during the “Best College Town” contest. He was named to the Wuerffel Trophy list for community service.
Alan Freedman Director of the Jewish Sports Heritage Association said, “We are very excited and honored to be presenting the Dolph Schayes Award to Zevi.”
Eckhaus had an impressive season for the Cougs posting 2,518 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns, 371 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. In big games against Ole Miss and Virginia, Eckhaus made key plays and whilst they ended up losing he gave them a fighting chance. His best game came against Utah State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl posting 399 yards and three touchdowns.
“He’s an amazing example of athletic accomplishment in a sport not often associated with the Jewish people. He shows the public that Jewish people can achieve in sports today, and that this is not just a thing of the past,” Freedman said.
Eckhaus is the first WSU player to win this award, however the last Jewish Cougar to be recognized was Alex Hoffman-Ellis who played linebacker from 2009-2012 and was named to Jewish Sports Review All-American Defensive team in 2011.
“Only the Football Was Trayf, Jews in Football,” is being held at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, Feb. 1, 2026, at Temple Israel, Lawrence (NY), and via Zoom. Admission is Free, and open to the public. For more information, contact Alan at [email protected].
