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IU receiver Wilson honors parents with sign language | The Indianapolis Star | indystar.com
Duwyce Wilson has a new signal he repeats after every big reception.
With his thumb, index finger and little finger extended, and his middle and ring fingers touching his palm, the Indiana sophomore points toward the crowd on the east side of Memorial Stadium.
It's the international sign language symbol for "I love you."
Wilson's parents, who are deaf, return the sign to complete the connection.
"I decided this year to show respect for my parents, that I wanted to let them know that everything I do in football is for them," said Wilson of Duwyce Sr. and Celestine. "Since day one (this season), I've been throwing up the 'I love you' sign every time I make a good play or if something good happens.
"Before the game if I see them, they'll wave and go crazy. But then in the game I'll know the general direction of where they're sitting and I'll be able to throw a sign or two to them there."
Wilson speaks in a soft tone and is extremely polite and respectful. He said that comes from growing up in a quiet home where he learned to communicate in sign language before he could talk.
But the experience wasn't always easy. At an early age, Wilson realized his parents were different from those of his friends.
"It hits you pretty quickly," said Wilson, who has caught 15 passes (tied for second on the team) for 176 yards (third) and two touchdowns (tied for first). "As my friends who had hearing parents realized their parents could talk, I realized my parents were talking with their hands and not with their voices."
It made for some difficult times. Parent/teacher conferences were an adventure and often resulted in written communication. A routine stop at a fast-food restaurant became a challenge when Mom and Dad couldn't communicate what they wanted to eat. Young Duwyce knew a little sign language but not enough to serve as an interpreter. The hardest part was on those days when he just wanted to come home and talk to his parents.
"Just not being able to talk to them like regular kids could do was difficult. It wasn't until I learned to sign a lot better that I was able to do that," he said.
Then came the embarrassment phase. Duwyce wasn't comfortable signing with his parents in public. People would stop and stare.
"Kids wouldn't make fun of me, but I was this shy kid who probably was over-thinking everything and I just didn't like it," Wilson said.
Attempts to interview Wilson's parents through email were unsuccessful. In a recent story conducted by the Big Ten Network, however, Duwyce Wilson Sr. said through an interpreter that he was aware his son had difficult times growing up with parents who were deaf.
"I tried to tell him not to be embarrassed by stuff like that and, 'You don't have to hide your signs,' " the elder Wilson said. "Now that he has gotten older that has all changed."
At some point in high school at Columbus East, Wilson realized he needed to embrace signing. It was then he decided he wanted to pursue a career as a sign language interpreter; his major is speech and hearing sciences.
He said his first thought was to become a gym teacher at a school for the deaf. He wants to help deaf people communicate better. Wilson said that was a deficiency he experienced growing up and something he would like to change.
"I feel very moved by that and very surprised," Celestine said of her son's career choice in the BTN piece. "What a difference from when he was young and now as an adult. It's a full turnabout. It's really great. He loves us so much."
He reminds them of that every Saturday afternoon with a simple three-fingered salute.
Duwyce Wilson has a new signal he repeats after every big reception.
With his thumb, index finger and little finger extended, and his middle and ring fingers touching his palm, the Indiana sophomore points toward the crowd on the east side of Memorial Stadium.
It's the international sign language symbol for "I love you."
Wilson's parents, who are deaf, return the sign to complete the connection.
"I decided this year to show respect for my parents, that I wanted to let them know that everything I do in football is for them," said Wilson of Duwyce Sr. and Celestine. "Since day one (this season), I've been throwing up the 'I love you' sign every time I make a good play or if something good happens.
"Before the game if I see them, they'll wave and go crazy. But then in the game I'll know the general direction of where they're sitting and I'll be able to throw a sign or two to them there."
Wilson speaks in a soft tone and is extremely polite and respectful. He said that comes from growing up in a quiet home where he learned to communicate in sign language before he could talk.
But the experience wasn't always easy. At an early age, Wilson realized his parents were different from those of his friends.
"It hits you pretty quickly," said Wilson, who has caught 15 passes (tied for second on the team) for 176 yards (third) and two touchdowns (tied for first). "As my friends who had hearing parents realized their parents could talk, I realized my parents were talking with their hands and not with their voices."
It made for some difficult times. Parent/teacher conferences were an adventure and often resulted in written communication. A routine stop at a fast-food restaurant became a challenge when Mom and Dad couldn't communicate what they wanted to eat. Young Duwyce knew a little sign language but not enough to serve as an interpreter. The hardest part was on those days when he just wanted to come home and talk to his parents.
"Just not being able to talk to them like regular kids could do was difficult. It wasn't until I learned to sign a lot better that I was able to do that," he said.
Then came the embarrassment phase. Duwyce wasn't comfortable signing with his parents in public. People would stop and stare.
"Kids wouldn't make fun of me, but I was this shy kid who probably was over-thinking everything and I just didn't like it," Wilson said.
Attempts to interview Wilson's parents through email were unsuccessful. In a recent story conducted by the Big Ten Network, however, Duwyce Wilson Sr. said through an interpreter that he was aware his son had difficult times growing up with parents who were deaf.
"I tried to tell him not to be embarrassed by stuff like that and, 'You don't have to hide your signs,' " the elder Wilson said. "Now that he has gotten older that has all changed."
At some point in high school at Columbus East, Wilson realized he needed to embrace signing. It was then he decided he wanted to pursue a career as a sign language interpreter; his major is speech and hearing sciences.
He said his first thought was to become a gym teacher at a school for the deaf. He wants to help deaf people communicate better. Wilson said that was a deficiency he experienced growing up and something he would like to change.
"I feel very moved by that and very surprised," Celestine said of her son's career choice in the BTN piece. "What a difference from when he was young and now as an adult. It's a full turnabout. It's really great. He loves us so much."
He reminds them of that every Saturday afternoon with a simple three-fingered salute.