Van Zant's play speaks volumes
Martel Van Zant read the play all the way, timed it perfectly, and stepped in front of the receiver to intercept the ball and return it for a touchdown. Teammates and fans at the Manchester Wolves intra-squad scrimmage clapped and cheered loudly for Van Zant, but he couldn't hear them.
Van Zant, a 6-foot, 210-pound cornerback, is deaf. He has never heard the cheers, even though they came often for him when he played college football at Oklahoma State. He couldn't hear the OSU marching band, or anything else. Van Zant was born without ear drums after his mother contracted chicken pox while she was pregnant.
Van Zant's disability never stopped him from becoming an exceptional student-athlete. He won the Mike Johnson Award given to the OSU player who demonstrates spirit and enthusiasm, and he was a finalist for the FedEx Orange Bowl FWAA Courage Award, which honors a coach or player who has displayed courage on or off the field, including overcoming an injury or physical handicap.
Van Zant, who made the Wolves final roster on Monday, runs the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds. Coming out of the competitive Big 12 Conference in 2008, the NFL scouting report called him "a strong, physical safety who's quick up the field, easily sheds blocks, likes to get involved in the action, and brings an opponent down on initial contact. Competitive and hard-working, he's an imposing figure in the secondary."
Brian Hug, the Wolves assistant head coach, said he didn't think Van Zant's disability would be an issue. Hug is the son of deaf parents.
"I knew sign language before I knew how to speak," Hug said. "I knew about Martel and (head coach Danton) Barto knew about him too and also knew he is deaf. When we talked about bringing him in, he asked me if we can coach him. I told him that it would take work if we invited Martel to camp, but it wouldn't be that hard. It would just take some learning on both ends."
Hug called Van Zant's agent, Kelli Masters, and sold her on the Wolves, an arenafootball2 franchise in New England. Convincing Van Zant's mom, Alice, back home in Tyler, Texas was a little tougher.
"Martel's mom was worried about him coming all the way up here all by himself," Hug said. "She was also worried that he'd be separated from his interpreter."
So far, it's working well. While Van Zant no longer has the services of the interpreter Oklahoma State assigned to him while he was in school, he does have a new interpreter the Wolves brought on board when he arrived in camp. He also has Hug.
"His sign language is old school," Van Zant said. "I'm learning from him and he's learning from me."
Van Zant, who earned his degree in business management, is among the players who stood out during preseason practice.
"We like his size and his speed," Hug said. "He's a good learner and a good player. He just needs playing time and more reps. As for the on field communication, we've got to get used to him seeing us out there and then relaying the signs."
Van Zant, who went to camp with the NFL's Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent last summer, would not be the first deaf player to make a professional football roster. There are at least two others: Bonnie Sloan played for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1973, and Kenny Walker was a Denver Bronco in the early 1990s.
"This isn't the same as the NFL or the CFL, but I am learning arena football and getting used to the rules, which are very different," Van Zant said through Hug. "So far, my experience here has been positive. I'm making friends with my teammates and enjoying the interaction. Some of the players want to communicate with me and are trying to learn to sign."
Returning veteran TC Myers, who was assigned to be Van Zant's roommate and is also fighting for a starting role in the defensive backfield, is one of them.
"He helps me a lot,"Van Zant said. "He helps me with the playbook and in practice, and he asked me to teach him how to sign. So I'm teaching him now. We also write things down when we need to communicate. He's been great. I was a little nervous at first. I was nervous about going so far away from home and from my mom and being away from my interpreter.
"Now I'm excited to be here. Everyone has been so good to me. I'm relaxed and ready to go."
