Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) celebrates with running back Derrick Coleman

Derrick Coleman erases doubt in the NFL, in the deaf community

Overcomes Deafness to Excel on Football Field

NFL fullback player Derrick Coleman was an ordinary three-year-old growing up in Fullerton, California until his parents noticed that his speech was not developing as it should. Having his hearing tested confirmed that Coleman had lost his hearing due to a recessive genetic trait.

Fitted with hearing aids on both ears, Coleman continued along with this “minor flaw,” as his parents insisted, he consider his deafness. And while he was teased by some people in school, his stellar grades proved that he was learning and overcoming his challenge.

“I think I spent so much of my time trying to be like the cool kids, trying to be like everyone else, to the point where I never got to be me. I never got to be weird or anything,” he said. Coleman eventually gave up on being like everyone else, and he’s certainly different.

He excelled as an athlete and proved to be an exceptional football player, despite some early issues with keeping his hearing aids in place. Two skull caps – one to keep the hearing aids in place and one to keep them dry – where his mother’s solution to the problem.

“I played football, I know what a violent sport it was,” said Derrick’s father, Derrick Coleman, Sr. “I know what the helmet-to-helmet collisions feel like, the headaches, and the injuries. So now as a parent, the concerns of a child with a hearing disability, and wearing hearing aids – how would that work?”

Coleman begged his parents to let him play. An MRI showed the structure in his ears could withstand the hits, and he wore a cap under his helmet to keep his hearing aids in place. But there was one more critical obstacle he needed to figure out.

Football relies heavily on verbal communication. Coleman plays fullback and running back and to make sure he never missed a play call, he perfected lip-reading, even behind mouth guards and facemasks.

“The biggest challenge was making sure the quarterback knows that I’m there,” Coleman said. “I’m yelling at him letting him know I’m in. That means you take an extra quick peek at me, that’s all.”

After a childhood spent trying to fit in, Coleman was now standing out for all the right reasons. He played college football at UCLA and graduated after four years with a degree in political science, and 11 touchdowns in his senior season. He caught the attention of the NFL team Seattle Seahawks.

He remembers what it was like to play football for the first time in middle school – when he finally found the place he belonged.

Derrick Coleman Hopes to Inspire Kids to Overcome Obstacles

“Football gave me a sense of understanding of where I stand in this world,” Coleman said. “And it made me understand the world a lot better. In between those white lines, that’s all that matters.”

Coleman never uses his deafness as an excuse but will talk about it when the topic is overcoming challenges. The Seahawks use him in multiple situations and know that his “minor flaw” will not keep him from giving his all.

Considered an “extraordinary kid” by Seattle Head Coach Pete Carroll, Coleman hopes that his success will inspire hearing-impaired kids to continue to work toward their goals, letting nothing get in their way. “That’s why I always talk to kids, and I’m glad to be in this situation because I can help,” Coleman said. “I get to be a role model for everybody else.”

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