Coach

Football Player Who is Deaf Shows There Are No Limits

Desis Gonzales Jr. is a 17-year-old San Gorgonio High School football player who's showing his teammates and others that anything is possible when you love what you do and put work into it.

The Spartans linebacker can't hear any play calls or the whistle because he's deaf. But that's not stopping him playing his favorite sport.

"I am proof that anyone can play football," he said through an interpreter. "I'm the first deaf person that won championships, and there has never been someone else who has won championships that's been deaf before."

He was rejected from other teams when he was a young boy because people didn't believe that he was capable of playing football. But his coach Rich McClure believes in him.

"The biggest challenge was understanding how to teach him, how to use his interpreter and how to use sign language," said McClure.

One of his players was inspired to learn sign language to help him during football practice and games. "I'm learning something all the time," said Leo Avalos, a fellow player.

His mom, Heidi, is proud.

Sports

Get today's sports news out of Los Angeles. Here's the latest on the Dodgers, Lakers, Angels, Kings, Galaxy, LAFC, USC, UCLA and more LA teams.

NASCAR at Dover: How to watch, schedule, drivers to watch for Würth 400

Roger Goodell considering 18-game NFL regular season and Super Bowl on Presidents Day weekend

"The other players have been wonderful," she said. "Everybody is so proud of him."

Contact Us