Derrick Coleman is a former American football fullback whose career lasted from 2012 to 2018. Although he was a good player, Derrick’s disability hampered his short-lived football career. He is widely known as the first legally deaf offensive player in the National Football League, and he played for the Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, and Arizona Cardinals.
Being the highest professional level of American football in the world, the National Football League (NFL) has seen thousands of talented players come and go. Most of these players eventually fade into oblivion regardless of how much history tries to keep the memory of their exploits alive, but the likes of Derrick Coleman would always be admired for their courage and resilience whenever people think of differently-abled people who got to play in the top level of such a contact sport.
While you would soon learn details of the disability that Coleman didn’t let stop him from becoming one of those who have played in the most popular sports league in the United States, you should know that the former American football fullback is often grouped with the likes of Tom Dempsey and Shaquem Griffin.
The former who passed in April 2020 played as a placekicker in the league from 1968 to 1979 for the San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Oilers, and the Buffalo Bills. Despite that he was born with no fingers on his right hand and without toes on his right foot, Dempsey pulled off a 63-yards field goal in 1970 with the Saints, and the record endured for over 40 years.
As for Griffin, anyone who keeps up with the NFL shouldn’t be told that the linebacker made headlines during the 2018 NFL Draft as the first one-handed player drafted into the league. He had his left hand amputated when he was four years old due to amniotic band syndrome. Dempsey’s and Griffin’s stories are a tale for another day, we are here for Derrick Coleman.
Profile Summary of Derrick Coleman
- Full Name: Derrick Lamont Coleman
- Gender: Male
- Date of Birth: October 18, 1990
- Derrick Coleman’s Age: 33 Years Old
- Ethnicity: African American
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Libra
- Religion: Christian
- Derrick Coleman’s Parents: Derrick Coleman Snr. and May Hamlin
- Siblings: Two
- Derrick Coleman’s Height in Inches: 6 Feet 0 Inch
- Derrick Coleman’s Height in Centimetres: 183 cm
- Derrick Coleman’s Weight: 106 KG (233 lb)
- Derrick Lamont Coleman’s Net Worth: $3 Million
- Famous For: NFL Career As a Fullback
10. The 33 Years Old Is a Native of Los Angeles, California
The retired NFL player was born on the 18th of October 1990 and according to records, his place of birth was in West Los Angeles, California. Of African American persuasion, Derrick Lamont Coleman was also raised in California. Lamont isn’t the only child of his parents; he was raised alongside two siblings although much isn’t known about them.
Who they are, including their full names, what they do for a living and what they are up to at the moment are not known to the public. Nonetheless, we can tell that one of his two siblings is an older sister named Tenisha who was once a cheerleader for a Pop Warner football team. Coleman was a student of Troy High School, a public high school located in Fullerton, California.
Growing up, the former American football fullback was very energetic with what has been described as a natural talent for sports. Be that as it may, his parents were reluctant to have him play football because of his disability. And before he started playing football, he first played T-ball but was too hyperactive for the sport that his coach dropped him. Thereafter, he played flag football before he made the move to tackle football.
9. Derrick Coleman Is The First Legally Deaf Offensive Player In The NFL
Several reports have it that the former American football fullback is the first legally deaf person to play in the NFL, this is not true. He is only the first legally deaf offensive player in the NFL and perhaps the fifth deaf player in the history of the league. Before him, there was Bonnie Sloan, Larry Brown, Kenny Walker, and Flozell Adams. Sloan played as a defensive tackle for the St. Louis Cardinals in at least four games during the 1973 season.
He was drafted by the Cardinals in the 10th round and as the 242nd overall pick. Even though he was released after that season, he is still remembered as one of the first three deaf football players in the NFL. Brown played for the Washington Redskins from 1969 to 1976; he had a phenomenal career that saw him emerge as the NFL Most Valuable Player of 1972 and a four-time Pro Bowler despite being deaf in one ear.
Similarly, Walker who had been deaf from meningitis since he was two is the first deaf player to have played in the Canadian Football League; he also played for the Denver Broncos of the NFL from 1991 to 1992. Adams played in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers from 1998 to 2010. He too was deaf in his right ear albeit partially. They all played in the league before Coleman, so it is practically impossible that he is the first legally deaf player in the league.
8. He Was Bullied Because of His Disability and It Nearly Cost Him a Professional Career In American Football
Derrick had quite a rough childhood because he’s hard of hearing. It is said that he lost his hearing when he was three because of some genetic reasons. From what we gathered, neither of his parents is deaf but they each have a missing hearing gene. When their son was two years old, they noticed a delay in his speech and language skills. An audiogram confirmed their fears, that Derrick couldn’t hear properly in his left ear.
Any hope for the condition to improve was dashed when it progressed to his right ear and ultimately lead to a definite loss of hearing. Derrick Coleman had to start using hearing aids which he disliked and would always pull out. During his days in elementary school, he was bullied because of his condition and called “Four Ears”.
With the help of his parents, Derrick learned how to live with the disability, but it was not until he discovered his passion for sports that his self-esteem flourished. It soon became clear that sporting activities were an outlet for him and his parents were supportive of this until he expressed that he wanted to play American football.
As it is a contact sport that exposes one to multiple blows to the head, Derrick Coleman Snr. and May Hamlin were concerned that letting their son play tackle football would worsen his hearing. But then Derrick was persistent and his parent opted for a doctor’s opinion. Following a magnetic resonance imaging scan, it was concluded that football wouldn’t lead to a progression of his hearing loss, thus birthing the beginning of his journey as an American football player.
7. Coleman Began Playing Football In Middle School And It Helped Him Better Understand The World
He was anywhere between the age of 11 and 13 when he started playing American football. Recalling that he was in middle school the first time he played the sport, Derrick Coleman related that it felt like he found where he belonged. Based on what he said, playing football gave him a better understanding of the world.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t easy for him but Coleman wouldn’t let having a disability affect his performance. He refused to make excuses for himself and kept pushing forward despite the challenges he faced. First, it was his hearing aids that kept producing feedback when he wears his helmet. He tried playing without them but immediately realized that it is just impossible.
His mother got creative and used a pair of pantyhose to snip-fit the hearing aids. This didn’t only eradicate the feedback problem but also solved the moisture problem from his sweat that made it difficult for the aids to stay in place. With time, it became obvious that Derrick has what it takes to thrive in the sport.
Yet, he had to break free from the concerns of his coaches who wouldn’t let go of the belief that his hearing loss was a problem. Given that, Coleman had to work extra hard to prove himself. By the time he got to high school, football had become what he wanted to live for and with the encouragement of his parents, he was able to cope with the communication challenges and play for the Varsity team of Troy High School as a running back and linebacker.
He once told CNN that his biggest challenge in the field was communicating with the quarterback. Following his graduation from high school, Derrick furthered his education at the University of California, Los Angeles where he obtained a degree in political science.
6. He Played College Football for The Bruins of UCLA As a Tailback But Went Undrafted In The 2012 NFL Draft
In the four years that Derrick Coleman spent at the University of California, Los Angeles, he played football as a tailback for the UCLA Bruins. It was at this point that most people began anticipating the possibility of him having a professional career in the sport. He had a fine college career that earned him the attention of NFL scouts which only intensified when he finished his senior season with 11 touchdowns.
With the attention he received, it was almost certain that he would be selected in the 2012 NFL Draft. This didn’t happen as Coleman went undrafted. Nonetheless, two teams made an offer to him as an undrafted free agent and he embraced a deal to play as a running back with the Minnesota Vikings. The franchise signed him on the 28th of April 2012 only to waive him in August of that same year.
Derrick was downcast when the Vikings dismissed him. His mother encouraged him to keep his head up, so he kept training while volunteering with a high school football team. He was eager to embrace any football opportunity that came his way but they kept evading him. As fate would have it, the Seattle Seahawks came calling for him and signed him sometime in December 2012. It was a big deal for him and his family when he made the 2013 season cut list and was added to the team’s roster.
He played for the team until 2015, scoring his first NFL touchdown with the side on the 2nd of December 2013 against the New Orleans Saints. Without a doubt, he spent his best years in the NFL with the Seahawks: he was part of the franchise team that defeated the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to win the Super Bowl XLVIII championship.
5. The Super Bowl Champion Also Played for The Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals
His time with the Seattle Seahawks came to an end in 2015. Following a run-in with the law, Derrick Coleman was handed an indefinite suspension sometime in October 2015. Although the suspension was lifted a few days later, much wasn’t heard from him until 2017. It was on the 21st of March 2017 that the Atlanta Falcons signed the fullback. He was signed alongside Soma Vainuku to compete for the starting fullback spot in an effort to fill the void the Falcons were having at that position.
Reacting to that, Coleman related that competition makes him better. Recounting that he had to battle with Michael Robinson during his first year at Seattle, he stressed that he isn’t bothered by the fact that we would have to compete for the spot with Vainuku. “Competition is what drives me“, he said and added that he would move on if he gives it his best shot and fall short of expectations.
He made his Falcons debut in a 23 – 17 win over the Chicago Bears and eventually played in all 16 games of the team that season, pulling off a career-high 16 special teams tackles. It was anticipated that he would spend more years with the Falcons but this didn’t happen. It emerged sometime in early May 2018 that he had made a one-year pact with the Arizona Cardinals. The team which had no place for fullbacks on their roster had brought in a new offensive coordinator, Mike McCoy.
Before he joined the Cardinals, he was the offensive coordinator at Denver Broncos, a team that used fullbacks. McCoy was looking to introduce that to the Cardinals team and that’s how Derrick came into the picture. He spent the 2018 season with the side, bringing his NFL career stats to 46 rushing yards, 15 receptions, 128 receiving yards, and 2 receiving touchdowns.
4. The Fullback Gained Nationwide Popularity After He Featured In a Commercial for Duracell Batteries In 2014
Many people would agree that the former American football fullback had a rewarding career. As stated earlier, the most memorable moments of his career were with the Seattle Seahawks. An instance was when he became a Super Bowl champion; prior to that, he had gained nationwide popularity through a commercial for Duracell Batteries. The commercial which featured Derrick with his hearing aid on full display resonated so much with viewers that it went viral with Derrick being the center of attention.
Many found it inspiring, including a 9-year-old Riley Kovacik who wrote Derrick a letter, relating that she loves sports; that she and her twin wears hearing aids, and that she has faith in him. It was an emotional gesture the fullback couldn’t ignore. He wrote the twins back and would later work with Duracell to have the Kovacik family watch Super Bowl XLVIII live.
Derrick Coleman and his teammate triumphed over the Broncos to become the National Football League champion for the 2013 season and the 2nd of February 2014 became one of the most memorable days for Derrick and the Kovacik twins. From what we gathered, Coleman has always dedicated his time to supporting and encouraging kids facing similar challenges to what he experienced growing up.
He has become passionate about it and it is the reason behind the Derrick L. Coleman Jr. No Excuse Foundation which he founded in 2013. Through the foundation, the former football player promotes anti-bullying efforts and educates kids to help them break free from the limitations associated with hearing impairments. More so, he raises money through the organization and uses them to acquire hearing aids for students who can’t afford to buy them.
3. A Vehicular Assault and Hit-and-Run Case Is The Only Blemish to His Otherwise Inspiring Career
In October 2015, just over a year after he gained nationwide popularity through the Duracell batteries commercial and became a Super Bowl champion, Derrick Coleman had a run-in with the law which was the only blemish to his inspiring career as a professional football player. As the story goes, Coleman who claimed to have smoked spice drove his Dodge Ram erratically and slammed into another vehicle in Bellevue, Washington.
It is said that the incident injured the 56-year-old driver of the vehicle he slammed into named Kristopher Fine. Fine’s car had overturned and he broke his collarbone in the process. Following the accident, Derrick reportedly fled the scene by foot but ran into a police officer and was subsequently arrested. He was dragged to court with charges of vehicular assault and hit-and-run.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges and might have spent some time behind bars if not for a plea agreement that saw the charges amended from a felony to a gross misdemeanor. With that, he pleaded guilty and was granted a first-time offender waiver based on the recommendation of the state and his defense. Coleman was eventually sentenced to 240 hours of community service and subjected to 12 months of community supervision.
Also, he was required to pay restitution to Kristopher Fine and for property damages; in addition to undergoing a substance-abuse evaluation and refraining from using alcohol and unprescribed drugs. He was handed an indefinite suspension when the news of his hit-and-run charges broke. The Seahawks investigated the case and lifted the suspension a few days later. Nevertheless, the incident kind of marked the end of his time with the franchise.
2. Derrick Coleman Retired When He Was 33 Years Old and Now Goes About Inspiring Deaf People
It is hard to think of when the fullback announced his retirement from the NFL, he probably never did. Be that as it may, it is no secret that his days of professional football are over. Nothing has been heard from him as a player since his time with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018. In fact, it is difficult to tell how he parted ways with the team; just as what he has been doing to make a living since his retirement is best known to him.
We can only confirm that he has been on a mission to inspire people who are deaf or hard of hearing as much as he can. For him, it is always a blessing whenever he gets to assist such people. The former NFL player is a proud Christain who has openly talked about his faith several times. Based on what he has shared, it wouldn’t be out of place to conclude that much of his self-motivated and optimistic nature is derived from his Christian faith.
Derrick Coleman believes that people can break through any perceived limitations to achieve whatever their dreams are as long as their minds are fixated on it and they persistently work towards attaining it. Indeed, that is the testament of his life and the message he spreads through his Derrick L. Coleman Jr. No Excuse Foundation.
In a nutshell, Coleman now spends a great measure of his time inspiring the deaf across the United States and beyond, bringing them hope and letting them know that there are no excuses good enough to stop them from achieving greatness.
1. Derrick Coleman Doesn’t Have Kids and Nothing Indicates He Is Married
One area of the former American football fullback that has been quite a mystery is his love life. All through the years he spent in the limelight as an NFL player, little was known about his romantic relationship and much hasn’t changed about that since he retired in 2018.
Although we are yet to authenticate this substantively, Derrick Coleman is single and has never been married. Considering his age, it is only natural for one to expect that he might walk down the aisle in the nearest future. But then, we can not also authenticate if he is dating anyone at the moment.
Looking through his Instagram pages, there are reasons to conclude that he is in a relationship with a white woman whose identity is yet to be verified. Also, Coleman, to the best of our knowledge, does not have any children. As far as we know, his family life revolves around his parents and siblings.
