Previously published on October 20, 2022
SIOUX CITY, IA – Football is an intricate game from the important details in coaches calling plays, to the action on the sidelines.
One Siouxland athlete excels on the field already reaching over 1,000 rushing yards this season with 15 touchdowns, and has never let adversity hold him back.
Think of the competitive and loud environment football creates… from the fans, to the band, referees blowing their whistle, to coaches yelling the plays. But imagine being out on the field only hearing silence.
“I feel the loudness. I feel the vibration of the fans, for sure. But I don’t hear them,” said Demarico Young, Sioux City North football player.
Young, A junior at Sioux City North, became deaf at just eight months old after having spinal meningitis. His right ear is severe profound, with very little hearing in his left ear, but he hasn’t let that hold him back from playing the game he loves.
“I’ll stay on the field because I play both offense and defense and coach Gerch will call in the plays. Coach Mohr will tell him what the play is, he’ll sign it and I look to Dawn for clarification. Also, if there’s additional clarification needed, Carson Strohbeen, our quarterback, helps me out with that,” said Young.
Young is able to communicate by utilizing his interpreter, Dawn Habhab, who spends the entire day with him from classes to signing plays on the field.
“He’ll ask me questions about plays or clarify things that we’ve discussed. Or asks me to ‘Hey, tell coach this, tell coach that’ and every once in a while I’ll get a ‘Did I do okay, miss Dawn?’ Yes, you did okay,” said Habhab.
Young has faced life’s challenges and adversity and continues to push through, and being out on the football field has brought him so much joy no matter what life throws his way.
Young grew up in Monroe, Louisiana attending the Louisiana School for the Deaf where everyone signed. His family made their way to Siouxland in May 2020, where he experienced a hearing school for the first time. To add another challenge to overcome, his family became homeless living out of a car for nine months.
“I just wanted better for our family. So I knew if my family was going to succeed, I had to do better in school, I have to do well in sports, and try and lift them out of the situations that we’ve been in. No matter how tough it is, no matter how hard it gets, I just have to keep going,” said Young.
“To watch him persevere through the toughest of times when people wouldn’t even have known what he was up against is the most inspiring, enlightening feeling of euphoria. It’s like, look at him go and nobody knows the difference,” said Habhab.
Young’s goal is to push for a full ride college scholarship to play sports and finish his education. His message to others?
“I would say never give up. Just persevere. Follow your heart,” said Young.
Watch the inspiring story reported by Amber Salas at Siouxland’s News Channel.