West Michigan Football Player’s Unique Jersey Draws Attention
During a college football game last weekend, the focus among fans shifted to a player’s jersey instead of the gameplay itself. The match featured Michigan State University facing off against Western Michigan University, concluding with a 23-6 win for the Spartans at home.
Despite the Broncos’ loss, one player notably stood out. Mustafi al-Garawai, wearing the distinct No. 0 jersey, caught viewers’ eyes for a rather unique reason—his nameplate was written in Arabic.
Al-Garawai, a senior defensive tackle who transferred from East Tennessee State University, had requested the Arabic writing on his jersey over the summer.
As per reports, Al-Garawai was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. His father received U.S. citizenship after opposing Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq and is known to have supported the U.S. military during the Second Gulf War.
In 2020, the NCAA allowed players to make social justice statements on their uniforms, which included the option to personalize nameplates. This policy was authorized by Western Michigan’s head coach, Lance Taylor, along with school officials.
However, after a college football fan page with 150,000 followers posted images of al-Garawai’s jersey, it provoked a largely negative reaction from many fans online.
One Texan commented, “That’s terrible,” while another questioned, “Why is it cool? This is America. No one can read it.” Another user echoed similar sentiments, asking, “This is still America right?” A handful of users even called for al-Garawai’s deportation, with others labeling the Arabic text as “gay.”
This situation marks a noteworthy moment, as this may be the first instance of a player’s name being displayed in Arabic in an NCAA football game; previously, two players had their names written in Chinese.
One such player, Jackson He from Arizona State University, had his name showcased in Chinese back in 2020. More recently, Notre Dame’s Charles Du attracted attention when his name was displayed in Chinese during the Sugar Bowl in January 2025.
