By Chris Hoenig
Derrick Coleman is Super Bowlbound, where he’ll play fullback for the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Oh, yeah, and he’s deaf.
Coleman is the first deaf offensive player in NFL historyonly the third deaf player everand the first to make it to the Super Bowl at any position. He’s not the best-known player in Seattle’s backfieldhis primary jobs are to block for leading rusher Marshawn Lynch and protect quarterback Russell Wilsonbut he has been a key cog in the NFC champions’ success. Appearing in 12 games, Coleman only rushed the ball twice (picking up just three yards), but he caught 8 passes for 62 yards, including a heads-up touchdown catch in an important Week 13 win against the New Orleans Saints. On that play, Coleman caught the ball along the sideline after it deflected off his teammate’s hands, diving into the end zone for the score.
