'Deaf Day at the Hall' draws more than 250 guests

By Nick Licata
Pro Football Hall of Fame

Football, food, fun and inclusion comprised the gameplan last weekend when the Pro Football Hall of Fame hosted Deaf Day at the Hall for more than 250 guests.

Triad Deaf Services, a longtime provider of interpretive services at Hall events, and museum staff organized the event to create memories for individuals of all ages who previously had not experienced a Hall of Fame visit. 

Gallaudet University from Washington, D.C., the only college or university in the U.S. specifically for hearing-impaired students, played a significant role in the event. 

Dale McCord, the first deaf member of the Pro Football Ultimate Fan Association, was in attendance to emcee. McCord was named the 2024 Washington Commanders Fan of the Year. The 44-year season ticket holder also served as a fan captain for the Commanders, promoting in-stadium accessibility measures, including closed captioning and interpreters during the singing of the national anthem. 

As part of the first day of its kind at the Hall, staff invited deaf and hard of hearing kids to compete in combine-like football drills and adults to attend informational presentations that shared technological advancements and stories of perseverance. Families also enjoyed food trucks and merchandise tables, as well as a cornhole tournament in the Nash Family Event & Conference Center. 

Gallaudet, whose staff and members of its football team helped facilitate the combine drills and demonstrated new technology, etched its place in football history in 1894. The school’s quarterback, Paul Hubbard, invented the huddle to avoid the opposing team stealing his play calls after watching him use American Sign Language (ASL) to sign the playcall to his teammates. 

Now, Gallaudet competes at the Division III level and has built a successful program within a student population where 95% have experienced some form of hearing loss. Their jerseys, in collaboration with Under Armour, feature the team’s name spelled in ASL. 

“We wanted to represent our culture and community,” Gallaudet Associate Athletic Director for Communications Sam Atkinson said. 

Gallaudet continues to bridge the gap between their players and other athletes around the country, including collaborating with AT&T to create a 5G helmet that can send players the play call through augmented reality. 

“When I put the helmet on,” said one Gallaudet football player in the video presentation, “it felt like the world was instantly lifted off my shoulders.” 

Gallaudet will continue to compete with the NCAA-approved helmets next season.