Deaf Football Players at Lenoir-Rhyne

http://riseup.lr.edu/deaf-students-amaze

A part of the team

Two deaf students on L-R's football team

At first glance, you might not notice anything different about wide receiver Stuart Jones and tight end David Washington. Both are sophomores on the L-R football team. Both are popular with classmates and have good academic records. But Jones and Washington are also profoundly deaf, relying on sign language interpreters for much of their interaction with others.

Football Coach Fred Goldsmith said Jones was considering attending either L-R or the University of South Carolina. Jones’s father advised his son to choose L-R based on its commitment to serving deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Washington decided to attend L-R because of its deaf education major. When his mother called to ask about a campus visit, she learned that football recruitment weekend was the following week. He attended and was picked for the team.

It is unusual for deaf students to play on the college level. Both students, who have been deaf since birth, seem confident in their abilities and have been in mainstream classrooms throughout school.

Washington said in an email interview that being independent is the best thing about being at Lenoir-Rhyne. After graduation, he plans to get a teaching job or earn a master’s degree at Gallaudet University (a university founded to educate deaf people). Washington said his father is deaf and his mother is hearing, so he grew up learning sign language. He said he has had no trouble keeping up with his class work. It is helpful to play on the same team as Jones. “He helps me out a lot,” Washington said. He added, “I am very thankful for this experience.”

“We’re glad to have them,” the coach said. “They don’t miss a day. They work really hard.” Jones is majoring in physics and plans to earn a master’s degree in mechanical engineering after graduation. He said his decision to attend Lenoir-Rhyne has proved to be a good one.

“I was able to balance my dedication to the classroom and being able to make good friends at the same time,” he said. Jones added: “Here, I’m not known as ‘the deaf guy.’ Here, I’m Stuart.”

Rising Up

"Here at L-R, I'm not known as 'the deaf guy.' Here, I'm Stuart."
— L-R Bears wide receiver Stuart Jones

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