Berkmar's Beasley Meets the Challenge

Players and fans are inundated with noise at football games. The coaches yell, referees blow whistles, parents cheer, the band plays, helmets collide. Now imagine Friday night football under the lights without sound. That's what Devione Beasley experiences when he steps out on the field for the Patriots.

Beasley, a cornerback and running back, is deaf.

The sophomore has set out to show that hearing impairments will not hold him back on the football field this year -- or ever. With a wiry five-foot even frame, Beasley isn’t the most intimidating player on the field. But his passion for the game glows as bright as the smile so common on his face.

"I feel like one of the guys," Beasley said.

Born deaf, Beasley can now hear slightly from his right and left ear with a hearing aid. He can read lips at times, but he communicates by sign language to his friends, coaches and teammates.

He attends Berkmar because it serves as host school for the hearing impaired in Gwinnett County. Full-time interpreters aid in the classroom and stay after school to help deaf students take part in extracurricular activities. If you look closely at Berkmar’s sidelines during a football game, you may notice several interpreters using sign language.

Beasley relies on his interpreter, Karen Tsai, to give him the play during the game. He looks at the sideline or the safety to receive audible signals and changes in play. The safety knows no sign language, but has learned how to sign the defensive signals to let Beasley know the play.

“I had to learn all the defensive schemes and plays," Tsai said. "Football really is a different language.”

Beasley’s love of football comes from the emotional aspects of the game, the speed, the rush, the hitting hard, having to be tough. His favorite NFL player is the hard-hitting Ray Lewis.

Defensive Coach Anthony Sessions "taught me how to be tough. He taught me how to not care about the pain and to tolerate the pain,” said Beasley. "He made me run a lot and taught me how to hit."

No Excuses

Beasley’s started playing football at the age of 3. His father fostered a love for the game early and is still his son's inspiration and role model. Demaral Beasley was a running back in high school and currently mentors former Arizona Cardinal Stevie Baggs.

The elder Beasley helped Baggs get back into the NFL while employing him at his courier company. Baggs, who refers to Beasley as a father figure, was inspired by Devione Beasley’s story so much that he has held football camps in previous years for Berkmar players to work with special hearing-impaired football coaches.

Berkmar’s Head Coach Jonathan Sanks will admit he doesn’t know a bit of sign language. Yet he can easily communicate with his player and there is an obvious respect Sanks has for Beasley.

“He’s very bright; he catches on really fast and understands a lot,” Sanks said.

“He is always on time, never misses practices, and never gets in trouble,” continued Sanks. “The kid never makes excuses.”

Beasley does feel that he is treated differently by Coach Sanks.

“He picks on me more than others,” Beasley said with a smile.

“Obviously he can’t hear,” joked Coach Sanks. “He doesn’t hear me making fun of the other guys, too.”

Beasley reciprocates the admiration. “Coach Sanks is good to me, he makes me laugh, shows me funny things,” said Beasley. “We talk about football, my dad and girls.”

Dreaming Big

Like many of his teammates, Beasley dreams of attending a good college and playing in the NFL someday. While many may think his hearing impairment is his biggest challenge, Beasley understands his five-foot frame may end up determining his future in football. But he hopes for a growth spurt and is motivated to put in the hard work to achieve those dreams.

Beasley wants to follow in the footsteps of deaf NFL football players. Kenny Walker played with the Denver Broncos in the early 1990’s. Bonnie Sloan played for the then-St. Louis Cardinals in 1973. Martel Van Zant was a deaf standout football player for Oklahoma State University.

The game of football owes hearing-impaired athletes for one aspect of the game: The modern football huddle was invented in 1892, by Gallaudet University quarterback Paul Hubbard. Gallaudet, a school for the hearing impaired, was tired of other teams stealing their play calling by watching their sign-language. Hubbard decided to get his team in a circle after each play to sign the play to each other. The huddle is now used by every football team to hide information from the opposing team.

Galladuet and Berkmar have some history as the University attempted to recruit Berkmar senior Justin Malone last year. Malone, born deaf, was Berkmar’s starting left guard in 2010.

Sign language is used at Berkmar high in classrooms and on the field, and while the coaches and players understand it sometimes slows the learning process, they wouldn’t have it any other way. Deaf players are classmates and teammates at Berkmar.

Beasley enjoys texting which allows him to easily communicate with his classmates. He likes computer games, playing football, hanging out with friends and girls. Just about what every teenage boy across the country would list as their hobbies.

And when the toe hits the leather to kickoff Friday night football at Berkmar, Beasley is just another kid on the field.