Written by: Carina Sanchez on January 24, 2014
“He’s a humble guy who works hard, and has never made an excuse. He’s an inspiration.” ~Richard Sherman (Seattle Seahawks cornerback)
“He’s one of those guys that doesn’t let anything hold him back,” ~Cliff Avril (Seattle Seahawks defensive end)
“Everyone is impressed by him. Not just as a player but as a person.” ~Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks quarterback)
“I don’t know if I could overcome what he’s overcome,” ~Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks coach)
“Physically, he’s a star, straight up. Beyond that, he’s a lot more. He’s a hero to a lot of people.” ~Zach Miller (Seattle Seahawks tight end)
Derrick Colemen
These impressive men in their own right are all talking about Derrick Coleman, one of the Seattle Seahawks fullbacks who also just happens to be deaf. Coleman’s team mates speak so positively and vociferously about him. This is a direct contrast to how he’s been spoken about the past. Coleman’s been deaf since he was three years old and spent much of his life being ostracized and told he was limited and that his dreams just weren’t possible.
As many know, I am a diehard Seahawks fan. I have enjoyed football ever since I was a little girl, sitting with my dad watching the TV and cheering on whatever team happened to be his favorite. It wasn’t until later and many good natured disagreement with my dad that I truly learned to love the home team (my dad was a Raiders fan). Like many in Seattle I am excited for Sunday to see MY team play in Super Bowl XLVIII but, coming into the season there were doubters and those who thought that our team was all hype. Through the season the Hawks have shown up, left their blood, sweat, and hearts on the field; and I in turn along with my fellow “12th man” gave them my voice and unwavering belief that this is our year!
About three quarters of the way through the season something awesome happened. The country became aware of Derrick Coleman and the fact that there was a deaf NFL player, playing a key role on arguably the best team in the NFL. People around the nation jumped on the Seahawks bandwagon; people outside of Seattle were falling in love with the team I have bled green and blue for; fans everywhere were donning our fabulous “Legion of Boom”, “Beast Mode”, and “12th Man” gear, painting their bodies, and screaming their faces off. Finally, my beloved team was getting their due. Ask me anytime who my favorite player is and I’ll tell you all of them; they work as one unit, they credit each other for the great plays made, and they have the Guinness Book record breaking (twice) loudest fans who’ve got their backs. All it took was Derrick Coleman to share his story of strength and perseverance to open up peoples hearts and allow the Hawks to nest inside.
Coleman is the first deaf offensive player in NFL history. But, he is so much more than a historical benchmark. The first thing one should know about Coleman is that no one thought he would ever be where he is today; in the NFL, an amazing key player in a championship team that is now heading to the Super Bowl. Coleman was always told that deaf people could not participate in team sports that he’d never be able to succeed because he can’t hear. “There was always someone telling me what I couldn’t do,” he said.
Much of that would change; he became a running back for UCLA, and was pretty good. Even with him being such a great player (he rushed for over 700 yards and 11 touchdowns his senior season) a college player with those stats usually earns a late-round selection in the draft; Coleman wasn’t drafted. I think to myself “what could these NFL teams have been thinking”? But, it’s no coincidence that Coleman ended up here in Seattle. He originally signed with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent, but they chose to cut him that summer. Derrick and our hometown team took a leap of faith and he came to the Seahawks. It is well known here is Seattle that coach Pete Carroll allows personalities to blossom—and as long as a player produces, coach Carroll lets the player be himself.
So how does a Derrick, as a deaf man, function in a highly verbal profession where listening is so vital? He uses hearing aids, which was the subject of an outstanding Duracell commercial featuring Coleman and that commercial has since become a viral inspiration to many. Coleman likes to describe the ability to hear on a numerical scale of 1 to 10. People with good hearing (such as the other Seahawks players) fall in the 7-or-higher range. When wearing his hearing aids, Coleman says he’s a solid 7 though without them, he states that he’s a 1, maybe even less. Coleman can read lips, and this allows him to get the play calls. It’s been well documented that in Seattle Seahawks huddle, when Coleman is in the game, quarterback Russell Wilson will remove his mouthpiece and call the play fully facing Derrick so that he can understand him. What coach Carroll developed in his fullback Derrick Coleman wasn’t just a great football talent who has since become a valuable special teams player, he has developed one of the team’s more inspirational men in what has become an amazingly special season.
Lets stop and think about all that Coleman does during an average NFL practice or game. Think about how difficult it is. Think about the brain power it requires to read someone’s lips, get the play and absorb all of the information in a matter of seconds. Then, beyond all that to execute everything you just digested. This is why each of Coleman’s teammates are in such amazement and why their respect for him is so great; they can’t imagine playing this game with such a large impediment. What Coleman is showing us is that a determined person can transform something as brutal as near-total hearing loss into a positive.
The Seahawks often talk about being limitless. Coach Carroll tells the players that our beloved Seahawks team is constantly underestimated and people don’t see just how special they are. The same could be said for Coleman and that he refuses to be limited.
What limits are you placing on yourself? What areas have you felt or even been told that you will not have success in? What will it take for you to dig deep; find your inner Derrick Coleman; and not let anything hold you back from what you really want for yourself. And, not that I biased of anything but…
GO HAWKS!!!