Seattle Seahawks star offensive player Derrick Coleman has been deaf since he was 3 years old and spent much of his life being labeled by his hearing loss.

Evergreen Speech and Hearing Clinic will partner with Coleman in helping raise awareness of hearing loss and help inspire others to achieve their dreams in a special event at 5 p.m. on May 14 at its Redmond clinic, 8301 161st Ave. N.E. #208.

Growing up, Coleman was told that deaf people could not participate in team sports.

“There was always someone telling me what I couldn’t do,” he said. Through perseverance and hard work, Coleman proved those who ostracized him wrong, working his way through collegiate football and being a part of a Super Bowl winning team as the first offensive deaf player in the NFL.

Coleman relies heavily on the assistance of his hearing aids and lip reading to receive the play calls. It’s been well-documented that in Seattle’s huddle, when Coleman is in the game, quarterback Russell Wilson will remove his mouthpiece and call the play so Coleman can understand him.

Coleman has been outspoken about his own experience and has become a role model for those with hearing loss.