INDIANOLA, Iowa — EDITOR NOTE: Part 2 of "The Sound of Football" can be viewed above, and Part 1 is at the bottom of this article.
Demarico Young leads Simpson College in rushing yards as a true freshman. The fact that he's deaf is just one of many hurdles that he's jumped over to get to this point.
“I've always believed that I can do anything but hear, deaf can do everything," Young said. "I can communicate as long as I have access. I find another way if my interpreter is not there through texting or writing. As long as I have communication, I've always believed I can do anything.”
His journey to college football started long ago with a big risk. Young and his family left the Louisiana School for the Deaf when he was in middle school so he could pursue football. The family moved to Sioux City where he attended South Sioux High School. The problem? None of the interpreters could understand Young's dialect of American Sign Language (ASL).
Because no one could understand him, he was labeled deaf and special needs.
"I didn't understand them, they didn't understand me. My GPA was like a 1.3, it was no good. And then Ms. Dawn Habhab, my interpreter, came to visit me and finally I had a language match."
After months of not being able to communicate, Young finally met someone who could understand him.
"I met him, he was extremely down and appeared broken," Habhab said. "We just had a little chat, and he (said), 'I'm an athlete. They don't understand me. They won't let me play. I am a good student, but I'm failing everything."'
Shortly after meeting, Habhab discovered just how difficult Young's life outside school had been.
"It wasn't until probably the end of my first week of work with him that he looked at me and said, 'do hearing people just live in cars?' And I was like, 'no.' He goes, 'that's not normal?'"
Young and his family were homeless and the school had no idea.
Habhab got help from the community and helped the Young family find a place to live along with food and furniture.
Now that Young was heard, it was time to finally reach his goal of being an athlete.
"He had a PE class and they were running flying 10s in the dome at South Sioux, and he ran a 0.88 flying 10," Habhab said. "The teachers looked and went, 'can he do that again?' Because they're thinking the transponder might have been off. And I said, 'they want you to do it again.' He goes, 'okay.' 0.88.”
Young ran the fastest time in the class and was encouraged to go out for the track team in spring of his freshman year. The coaches were blown away by the kid that was a water boy in the fall.
He got his shot on the football team his sophomore year, and led the Cardinals in rushing that season. Young then transferred to Sioux City North as a junior where he led the Stars in rushing as well.
His football career continued to excel, but the biggest accomplishment of his senior year came as he walked across the stage.
"To see him take every opportunity, knowing that he has support, and excelling to the highest level he possibly can, and then thinking he can go even further and succeeding, it is miraculous," Habhab said.
Young never stopped believing.
“I always look at barriers like they're hurdles, and I jump those hurdles and break the rules so that people behind me who are deaf will be able to look up to me and not have the struggles I did. And they'll be able to succeed as well.”
After continuing his gridiron journey to Simpson College, Young leads the 4-5 Storm in rushing with 617 yards and five touchdowns.
His head coach, Reed Hoskins, thinks that Young makes up for his lack of hearing with every other sense.
“Maybe (he) can't hear in the traditional way that everybody else does, or communicate that way, but he's kind of got those enhanced superpowers," Hoskins said. "I think that's really important for any player to have that type of confidence.”
Another relationship super important to Young is with quarterback J Jensen III. The senior quarterback has even learned some ASL to make communication on the field easier. Jensen thinks highly of Young.
“He's one of the top halfbacks that I've ever seen in my life. I'm from Houston, my halfback in high school, he went to Army, right? And he is up there with the dude that went to Army.”
The signals on the sideline get to Young via his interpreter Habhab.
“It's been a lot of asking questions, making sure that I have the tools to be able to communicate with Demarico on the field," coach Hoskins said. "At the same time, there's moments for player to coach that we have to be able to, you know, interact on the field and and our comfort level with one another is continuing to grow, just with the experience there.”
Habhab feels the pressure on gamedays.
“If coach is talking about plays, then I have to be right there, you know, verbatim, so that if he has a question, he can ask it right then, not behind. I think I'm more nervous than he is. I'm not going to lie, when I'm on that sideline, I'm literally sweating."
Young's success on the field is apparent, and his success in the classroom is just as big, especially as a first-generation college student.
“It's a huge responsibility," Young said. "I need to show to my family and the world who I am. I care for my family, and they look up to me, and they want me to succeed, and I don't want to fail them.”
In class, he is joined by Habhab. She alternates every 15 minutes with an online interpreter. Simpson is learning as it goes, but is doing everything it can to adapt to Young's needs.
“It's really just a matter of making sure that we have good communications among all of the people who are working with him," said Simpson Academic Dean CoryAnne Harrigan. "Perhaps we will have other deaf students who look at Simpson, seeing how Demarico has been able to achieve things here, and will think for themselves, 'yeah, this might be a good school for me.'”
Now, with everything that he's accomplished, Young is giving back with the Demarico Young Readiness Foundation.
"It provides to kids whose family may not be able to afford sports equipment," Young said about his non-profit that he started in 2023. "(It) doesn't matter what age they are, elementary through high school. We provide free any cleats or shoes or equipment that they need to be able to participate. I want to inspire the next generation."
And inspiring is a perfect word to describe Demarico Young.
“Deaf can do anything but hear and Deaf can play any sports at any level. The only thing that they need is communication. Find a way. Never give up. Do your thing.”
