Two NFL legends and former Kansas City Chiefs teammates recently traveled to Israel to make the case for Israeli and American hostages held captive by Hamas.
Nick Lowery, one of the league’s all-time greats, and former star running back Tony Richardson returned from a five-day trip, sponsored by Athletes for Israel, earlier this month. A few weeks later, a diplomatic move resulted in the release of three hostages and the promise of more to come. Lowery, the Chiefs’ all-time leading scorer and, like Richardson, a member of the team’s Hall of Fame, told Fox News Digital that making a difference off the field is more important than what he accomplished in his illustrious career in goal.
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“What is the Hall of Fame?” said Lowery, who played college football at Dartmouth and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree at Harvard. “There’s one on the field, and there’s your contribution to your community. In the end, that’s your legacy.”
Amit Levy holds a picture of his sister Naama in front of the US Capitol at the Homecoming March on December 8, 2024. (Leigh Vogel for Hostage and Missing Families Forum)
The focus of the 68-year-old Lowery these days is on the fight against anti-Semitism and racism and advocating the release of Hamas hostages, such as Naama Levy (20). Levy was abducted from the Nahal Oz base, less than a kilometer from Gaza, where she was posted as a soldier to supervise the October 7, 2023. The Times of Israel reported that 15 surveillance soldiers were killed that day and six were taken hostage.
A video released by Hamas shows the terrorist Levy being dragged into a Jeep by her hair. Her hands were tied, her ankles were cut, her face was bleeding, and her sweatpants were stained with blood.
Lowery said in a video posted on social media: “Naama cannot speak. But we, the athletes of the world, must now speak for her.”
Lowery is part of the #SportSpeaksUp campaign led by Eric Rubin, executive director of Project Max, a movement dedicated to fighting racism, anti-Semitism and intolerance through sports. The campaign is supported by Athletes for Israel, a non-profit organization that brings legendary sports figures to the Holy Land.
Naama Levy enjoys running triathlons, just like her father and grandfather.
In Israel, Lowery met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohan and soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces. He also visited the site of the massacre at the Nova music festival, which he called “overwhelming”. He said: “There are pictures of these people, full of life, two-thirds of them are women, absolutely beautiful, full of life, and there were flowers and offers of love and support in their memory.”
Lowery was rebaptized at the Sea of Galilee and visited the Western Wall, which he said was a deeply spiritual experience.
“As a Christian, just by touching the wall, you feel like you’re connecting with God,” Lowery said.
Lowery and Richardson also toured Hostage Square in Tel Avivwhere they observed an extended dinner table with 200 seats decorated in honor of each hostage. The chair for Levy was decorated with flowers.
They sat with Levy’s father, Yoni, and her brother, Amit, 22. Lowery said Yoni Levy talked about how much his daughter loves to bring light and laughter to people, her vision to become a peacemaker, and her strong will and competitive spirit.
Amit Levy told Fox News Digital that he could tell Lowery was enjoying hearing about his sister.
“I think everyone who hears about her can feel her strength and is really inspired by her,” said Amit Levy.
Levy is a fun-loving teenager who grew up in Israel and India and is close to her family, which also includes her mother, who is the doctor for the Israeli soccer team; 16-year-old sister, Michal; and brother Omri, 12, according to Amit Levy. He said his sister likes to go to parties and laugh with friends, in addition to being a “very moral girl” with a caring nature, dedicated to helping others and advocating for peace.
Levy studied diplomacy in high school and later volunteered once a week for 10 months at a kindergarten for African refugees in southern Israel.
“She had a great connection with the kids there,” Amit Levy recalled.
Naama Levy volunteered at a kindergarten for African refugees in southern Israel.
Levy is an idealist who participated in the “Hands of Peace” delegation that encouraged Israeli and Palestinian youth to work together to create change, according to her brother.
“I would tell her that maybe she is a little naive at some points, because the world is sometimes not such a pleasant place,” he said.
He also recalled how his sister, as an elementary school student, used to wake up her parents at 5 in the morning to take her to a triathlon competition, like her father and grandfather, who continues to compete even when he is approaching 80 years old.
The last time her family heard from Levy was in December 2023, when newly freed hostages said they saw her in the tunnels under Gaza. “They said she was injured by shrapnel from a shell still in her leg, because shells were thrown at her and her friends in the shelter on October 7,” said Amit Levy.
It has been almost 500 days since Levy and more than 100 others were kidnapped. Amit Levy described how the freed hostages “could feel her strength and incredible personality from the short time they had to know her,” which gave him and his family “air to breathe.”
However, there were no subsequent reports about her.
“I am honored to know these people. They are in my heart now.” – Nick Lowery, former NFL star
Levy’s family members find hope by reminding themselves how strong she is “physically and especially mentally” and that she knows her mission is to survive.
Lowery also visited a soccer field in the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, where 12 Druze children and teenagers were killed and at least 42 injured by a Hezbollah rocket on July 27, 2024. There, Lowery comforted Jwan Ibrahim, a 13-year-old boy who was crying because blamed himself for not being able to save his friend who was killed.
Rubin described how the group went out onto the field where the tragedy happened and started playing soccer with the kids, and suddenly, if only for a moment, they forgot their grief and sorrow. He said it felt like half the town came out and “the darkness evaporated.”
Lowery marveled at the resilience of the Israelis he encountered, characterizing their collective attitude as “nobody’s going to take my light.” Even immediately after the airstrikes, people were surfing and drinking cocktails on the beach, he noted.
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Lowery said standing up for Jews is in his “emotional DNA,” as his grandmother documented atrocities at the Dachau concentration camp in Germany. He is dedicated to bringing Jews and Christians together, and he and Rubin expressed their commitment to continuing to meet with these families.
“I’m honored to know these people. They’re in my heart now,” Lowery said. “Football may be a tough sport, but this is the most important job we’ve ever done…. We’re connected for life.”
