Miss-Delectable
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Deaf football player key for Bryan defense | BrazosSports.com
Rodney Watts bursts through the offensive line during practice, smiling and laughing about the accomplishment. As his coaches shout instructions, Watts turns from them, looking away as if he's not listening.
He's not. The 6-3, 315-pound senior defensive lineman is deaf, and in this case, he's looking to the sidelines to see his instructions relayed by sign language.
"When he was 9 months old, he had meningitis, and we found out about his hearing loss," said Cookie Watts, Rodney's mother. "Rodney sometimes would say 'Mom, I hate that I can't hear' and I would say, 'Come on, it could have been worse.'"
If there are obstacles in his path, Rodney has stepped around them, just as he has stepped around offensive linemen his senior season. Watts has about 20 percent hearing in each ear. He uses sign language to communicate, but he can hear the crowd at Viking football games.
Watts lives in Brenham but attends school in Bryan, where he has gone to school since he was 2 years old. The ride back and forth from home to his deaf-education classroom may get old, but the payoff is worth it. He gets to play football, and he does it well.
"I'm strong. My legs are very strong, and I'm fast, too," said Watts through his sign language interpreter, Judy Cook.
Vikings defensive line coach Jeff Hamiilton agreed.
"He has unbelievable raw talent. He excels at playing football," Hamilton said. "I probably won't coach another kid like him."
Watts hopes to play college football but needs a school with the right program for a deaf student. Oklahoma State has shown interest, while Tyler Junior College is also an option.
"Sometimes, I miss what is being said, especially when we are watching videotape," said Watts, who sees few other drawbacks as a deaf football player. "I have to watch the ball a lot more."
He also has to watch Cook more. Cook translates communications from coaches to Watts during practice and in games.
"We call her 'coach Cook,'" Hamilton said. "I don't know what we would do without her."
While Watts does not speak often, he knows when he needs to communicate that way.
When the Vikings took an impromptu swim earlier this season, departing practice to jump into the pool at the Bryan Aquatic Center, he uncharacteristically spoke up.
"He said 'I cannot swim,' and everybody knew what he was saying," Hamilton said.
Watts' speaking is rare, but his ability to hear shows itself from time to time.
"He has jumped offsides before," Hamilton said. "He can hear certain tones."
"No, I shouldn't jump offsides," said Watts, smiling. "I can hear 'hut, hut' and hear the crowd."
Still, Watts sometimes needs more than verbal instructions - or Cook's sign language translations from the sidelines.
"The linebacker will tell me if I need to move over to the left or move to a 5 technique, and he will signal to me from behind," Watts said. "Sometimes, they have to tap me to move over."
The extra communication is hardly a burden for the Vikings, who have embraced Watts as one of the key members of their defensive line.
"The guys on the football team are just wonderful," Cookie Watts said. "All of them and the coaches are wonderful. He has no vehicle in Bryan. His friends ride with him, and they go eat before games."
It's the kind of things teammates do.
"In the game against Consol, Rodney was really moving," Cookie said.
"They took him to McDonald's, and he got blue Gatorade. He drank about six of them. Now, he's got to get the blue Gatorade."
And the team in blue loves having him in the defensive line to disrupt the opposing offenses.
"You just can't help but love the kid," Hamilton said. "You kind of gravitate toward him. I told [head coach Bob] Bellard that he's not nearly as handicapped as we would be if Rodney didn't play for us."
Said Watts: "It's been fun, but it's been more fun this year. I am learning a lot more about the game itself."
Rodney Watts bursts through the offensive line during practice, smiling and laughing about the accomplishment. As his coaches shout instructions, Watts turns from them, looking away as if he's not listening.
He's not. The 6-3, 315-pound senior defensive lineman is deaf, and in this case, he's looking to the sidelines to see his instructions relayed by sign language.
"When he was 9 months old, he had meningitis, and we found out about his hearing loss," said Cookie Watts, Rodney's mother. "Rodney sometimes would say 'Mom, I hate that I can't hear' and I would say, 'Come on, it could have been worse.'"
If there are obstacles in his path, Rodney has stepped around them, just as he has stepped around offensive linemen his senior season. Watts has about 20 percent hearing in each ear. He uses sign language to communicate, but he can hear the crowd at Viking football games.
Watts lives in Brenham but attends school in Bryan, where he has gone to school since he was 2 years old. The ride back and forth from home to his deaf-education classroom may get old, but the payoff is worth it. He gets to play football, and he does it well.
"I'm strong. My legs are very strong, and I'm fast, too," said Watts through his sign language interpreter, Judy Cook.
Vikings defensive line coach Jeff Hamiilton agreed.
"He has unbelievable raw talent. He excels at playing football," Hamilton said. "I probably won't coach another kid like him."
Watts hopes to play college football but needs a school with the right program for a deaf student. Oklahoma State has shown interest, while Tyler Junior College is also an option.
"Sometimes, I miss what is being said, especially when we are watching videotape," said Watts, who sees few other drawbacks as a deaf football player. "I have to watch the ball a lot more."
He also has to watch Cook more. Cook translates communications from coaches to Watts during practice and in games.
"We call her 'coach Cook,'" Hamilton said. "I don't know what we would do without her."
While Watts does not speak often, he knows when he needs to communicate that way.
When the Vikings took an impromptu swim earlier this season, departing practice to jump into the pool at the Bryan Aquatic Center, he uncharacteristically spoke up.
"He said 'I cannot swim,' and everybody knew what he was saying," Hamilton said.
Watts' speaking is rare, but his ability to hear shows itself from time to time.
"He has jumped offsides before," Hamilton said. "He can hear certain tones."
"No, I shouldn't jump offsides," said Watts, smiling. "I can hear 'hut, hut' and hear the crowd."
Still, Watts sometimes needs more than verbal instructions - or Cook's sign language translations from the sidelines.
"The linebacker will tell me if I need to move over to the left or move to a 5 technique, and he will signal to me from behind," Watts said. "Sometimes, they have to tap me to move over."
The extra communication is hardly a burden for the Vikings, who have embraced Watts as one of the key members of their defensive line.
"The guys on the football team are just wonderful," Cookie Watts said. "All of them and the coaches are wonderful. He has no vehicle in Bryan. His friends ride with him, and they go eat before games."
It's the kind of things teammates do.
"In the game against Consol, Rodney was really moving," Cookie said.
"They took him to McDonald's, and he got blue Gatorade. He drank about six of them. Now, he's got to get the blue Gatorade."
And the team in blue loves having him in the defensive line to disrupt the opposing offenses.
"You just can't help but love the kid," Hamilton said. "You kind of gravitate toward him. I told [head coach Bob] Bellard that he's not nearly as handicapped as we would be if Rodney didn't play for us."
Said Watts: "It's been fun, but it's been more fun this year. I am learning a lot more about the game itself."