黑料社

DEMARICO YOUNG 鈥�28 OVERCOMES ALL ODDS

Late in the fourth quarter, 黑料社 was simply looking to run out the clock on an impressive Homecoming win over Dubuque. The Storm got much more. Young took the handoff, broke through a cluster of defenders and was off to the races. Eighty-four yards later Young reached the endzone for the longest touchdown of his career to seal a 27-7 victory.

鈥淥nce I鈥檓 out there, I don鈥檛 notice the crowd or anything else,鈥� said Young. 鈥淲hen I get the ball, it鈥檚 just me 鈥� I don鈥檛 look back, and I don鈥檛 hear the tackles. I just run and know that I have to get to the endzone.鈥�

Young experiences football differently than everyone else. He鈥檚 been deaf since contracting spinal meningitis as an infant. Since then, he鈥檚 been running through barrier after barrier to make his college and football dreams come true.

FINDING HIS STRIDE

鈥淭he support and resources that 黑料社 provides has really helped me excel. There were some early struggles, but with Coach [Reed Hoskins] supporting me and telling me I am a benefit to the team, it’s helped build my confidence and grow not only as a person, but also as a player and team member. My teammates have been great. They’ve really adapted and are always willing to learn about sign language, deaf culture and me as they’re willing to open up about themselves.鈥�

Young鈥檚 star-studded career in track and football at North High School in Sioux City, Iowa, drew lots of recruiting attention 鈥� including from Iowa State. But 黑料社 provided the full package Young was looking for in a college experience.

鈥淭he first thing I was looking for was an academic system that is supportive and willing to engage with a deaf student,鈥� said Young. 鈥淎nd Coach Hoskins was very open about my role on the team, telling me that I was a fit 鈥� and that was magic for me.鈥�

Hoskins has seen Young produce lots of football magic over his first two seasons while establishing himself as one of the top running backs in the American Rivers Conference. Young was the A-R-C rushing champion this season with 1,019 yards 鈥攁veraging 102 yards a game on six yards per carry.

鈥淒emarico is very instinctual,鈥� said Hoskins. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of like his superpower. He can鈥檛 hear, but he sees and feels so well. He goes through the gap and tacklers come, but he just disappears and suddenly you see him six yards down the field.鈥�

LEARNING CURVE ON AND OFF THE FIELD

Of course, what impresses Hoskins about Young goes well beyond his football talent. Hoskins says he鈥檚 learned a lot about Young 鈥� and himself 鈥� over the last two seasons as they鈥檝e worked closely together with many others across campus to navigate the many dimensions of the 黑料社 educational experience.

鈥淪tarting out, it was a learning process for all of us,鈥� said Hoskins. 鈥淲e had to work through the accommodations piece and a lot of people on campus, much like me, had never been through this. There was so much we didn鈥檛 understand and things to address that you don’t even think about.鈥�

No one has played a more important role in Young鈥檚 transition to academic and football life at 黑料社 than his American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter Dawn Habhab. From the classroom to the field, Habhab and Young have been virtually inseparable since day one here.

Both during practices and on game days, Habhab is down on the sideline 鈥� often standing right next to Coach Hoskins to help with communication. Her previous experience helping the California School of the Deaf football team makes her conversant in football terminology, which has proven especially helpful.

鈥淲hen I first got on the field freshman year, I was nervous,鈥� said Young. 鈥淚t was the first time for a deaf player to be starting in this conference, and I was inspired and humbled at the same time. I had a hard time remembering the plays, so Miss Dawn had to sign them in and explain them from the sideline.鈥�

Habhab is also with Young in the classroom, where the learning environment can be especially complex for a deaf student.

鈥淥ne of the challenges is taking notes,鈥� said Young. 鈥淏ecause if I鈥檓 watching my interpreter, I can鈥檛 take notes at the same time. But we have team study table on Monday nights and some of my teammates are in the same classes as me. I also have tutoring, and the writing lab is definitely helpful.鈥�

LIFE-CHANGING RELATIONSHIP

The unique bond Habhab and Young share dates to his early high school days. When they first met, Young was just 14 and struggling mightily. He and his mom, along with four siblings, had just moved to Nebraska from Louisiana, where he had been attending the Louisiana School for the Deaf.

Relocating from Nebraska to Sioux City, Iowa, things were rough. Young鈥檚 family was homeless and life at his new school was going poorly to say the least. His learning needs weren鈥檛 being met and his repeatedly expressed desires to play sports were not fulfilled. Deeply frustrated and failing in school, Young says he became detached and depressed as school administrators considered placing him into a self-contained special needs classroom.

That鈥檚 when Habhab arrived to intervene. She had been working in another part of the state when a colleague asked her to go check on Young, believing he wasn鈥檛 getting the support he needed and that Habhab could help get him on a better path.

鈥淚 introduced myself to him [Young] and told him that I knew he was from Louisiana and I had worked at Riverside [School for the Deaf ]. Then after he shared his situation and his goals, I told him I would come work with him if I was a language match.鈥�

Young鈥檚 hope renewed, he enthusiastically accepted Habhab鈥檚 offer, and the two have been working together ever since. He began to improve academically and finally got his chance to play sports, before his family was placed in Sioux City housing. The move resulted in his transfer to Sioux City North High School, where he continued to thrive, rewriting more than a few sports records along the way.

Young says his decision to attend 黑料社 was tied to whether Habhab would be willing to move to Indianola and continue to work with him. She and her husband selflessly agreed that she would do so鈥� opening a world of possibilities for Young.

MAXIMIZING OPPORTUNITIES

Inspired by meeting retired Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, who sponsored the American with Disabilities Act, Young is pursuing pre-law studies at 黑料社.

鈥淏ecause of all the civil rights violations and struggles that I’ve faced, I want to become a lawyer to represent people like me,鈥� said Young. 鈥淎nd I know if I get a great education that I can do that.鈥�

He also has hopes of making it to the NFL or XFL one day, and he鈥檚 excited to grow his Demarico Young Athletic Readiness Foundation, which he started a few years ago to help provide athletic gear for youth in his home community.

For now, Young is focused on the great opportunities in front of him 鈥� on and off the field at 黑料社. As a first-generation college student, he embraces the burden and honor of being an example for his entire family. His college journey means the world not just to him, but especially to his mom.

鈥淢y mom has serious health issues, but she had the chance to come to her first game this season,鈥� said Young. 鈥淲hen we were walking across campus together, she started to cry because her feet were touching the ground of a private college where her son is getting an education and playing football 鈥� a dream she never thought she would see.鈥�