Today is June 10 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is "Can you accept what makes you different?"
As a deaf player in the National Football League (NFL) Derrick Coleman is brave and accepts just how different he is.
The first deaf player in NFL history was defensive tackle Bonnie Sloan, a 1973 member of the St. Louis Cardinals who thought he was fortunate not to hear his coach use foul language.
The second was defensive end Kenny Walker, a Denver Broncos 1991 draft pick out of Nebraska, who was so thorough he used to bring an interpreter with him to team meetings.
But the third deaf NFL player has gone where none has ever gone before … to offense, where, in the 21st century there are audibles and “Omaha’s” and outright races to the line of scrimmage to snap the football. Derrick Coleman, a backup fullback for the Seattle Seahawks, is overwhelmed by none of it.
When he is in the lineup, the first person he finds is quarterback Russell Wilson.
He follows Wilson to the huddle. He asks Wilson to stare at him during the play call. If there’s an audible under center, he expects Wilson to turn around and mouth it to him loud and clear.
If Wilson forgets, he’ll go grab the quarterback’s face mask. That’s his other survival skill: whatever it takes. It’s simple, actually: You don’t have to hear to be able to listen
As Richard Branson said “Whatever personal challenge you have to overcome, you must be brave enough to accept that you are different. You must have the courage to trust your instincts and be ready to question what other people don’t. If you do that, you can seize opportunities that others would miss. Believe in yourself, and use everything you can—including the obstacles—to propel you along the road to success. Who knows what you might achieve?”
You can read about Coleman's ability to navigate the chaos in his book No Excuses: Growing Up Deaf and Achieving My Super Bowl Dreams. Coleman relied on his bravery to accept his differences. Do you?