Scotty Frieman has been playing football since the age of 6. The senior defensive tackle at Kennesaw Mountain is no different than most high school players; he loves to play football and has aspirations of playing in college.
The only thing that sets him apart from the rest of his teammates is that he is deaf.
Before Frieman arrived at Kennesaw, most of the students had never been in contact with a deaf person before. He found it difficult to fit in with the other kids because they couldn’t understand each other most of the time. None of his teammates or coaches knew how to use sign language.
Since his arrival, however, a number of deaf students have entered Kennesaw Mountain’s hearing-impaired program. Gradually, he has been able to communicate with other students and they have started to learn sign language.
“A lot of my friends and teammates know some sign language, and I know how to read lips sometimes,” Frieman said.
LEARNING TO COMMUNICATE
Communication is greatly enhanced through the use of a sign language interpreter. Rose Crews, who interprets for Frieman, is an extra coach and signs to him during practices and games. This helps head coach Scott Jones immensely.
“We lean on the interpreter a lot, but sometimes [Frieman] can read lips and we can get across what we’re trying to say,” Jones says.
The ninth-year head coach does not see much difference between Frieman and his other players: “If you watch an entire game, you really would not be able to tell that anything was different. He is no different than any other player on the field during a game.”
The most difficult thing for Frieman during a game is, obviously, communication. He is aided by an arm band that has all the plays numbered on it. This arm band is much like what a quarterback might use to call out a play.
“If I don’t know what play we are running, my teammates can let me know by telling me the number,” Frieman said.
Playing defense is a big plus because verbal communication is not as necessary as it is on offense. Most defenses change plays by tapping their helmet or the backside of their teammate.
“A lot of times our linebackers or safeties tap our front lineman either left or right and they know which side we are blitzing, so not much verbal communication is needed,” Jones said.
Playing defensive tackle is pretty simple for Frieman. He is responsible for clogging up the middle on run plays and rushing the quarterback on passing plays. He has been fairly successful and has three sacks on the season so far. Although he cannot hear anything during the game, there are actually some advantages to being deaf and playing football. He rarely gets penalized, nor does he have to hear what the other team has to say. With a smile on his face, he said, “I have never been drawn offsides and probably will never be called for that penalty.”
GRIDIRON GOALS
Kennesaw Mountain is the first traditional school that Frieman has attended, but he played football on an all-deaf team before coming to play for the Mustangs. On that team, he was able to play offense, which is virtually impossible to do on a traditional team.
“I used to play center on my old team, but I really can’t do that here,” he said. “If I was going to play offense, I would like to play offensive tackle.”
The senior has worked his way up on the team every year, going from the freshman team to junior varsity and is now starting on the varsity team, making his first start on Oct. 10 in a 27-7 win over Cherokee. He was also named Defensive Lineman of the Week after the victory.
Having grown up in Maryland, Frieman will return to the area when he graduates. He will attend Gallaudet University, which is a school for the deaf in Washington, D.C., and he also plans on continuing playing football there.
But for now, Frieman is focused on helping the Mustangs reach the postseason for the first time in history.
“I still hope that we can make the playoffs this year,” he said. “This is my goal, this is our team’s goal.”
Deighton can be reached at jdeighton@scoreatl.com.
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