The Athletic covers live Eagles vs. Seahawks on Monday Night Football
It’s not just that DK Metcalf learns American Sign Language and uses it on the national stage – it’s that, even as a discernible novice, he does it with a level of finesse that shows he just gets it.
“He’s got the swag with that.” And that’s sometimes half the battle with signing,” said Sean Forbes, one of the deaf rappers who breaks down barriers at the Super Bowl halftime show two years ago with Eminem, Snoop Dogg and other hip-hop stars. “You have to have the nuances, the vibrations, the way your hands move and flow has to be there. … He had the rhythm, where most beginning singers would be a little more choppy.
Metcalf, the Seattle Seahawks wide receiver, introduced a twist to the typical NFL touchdown celebration this season, signing one-liners in the end zone in recent games against the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys. He joked that the practice could help him avoid fines to talk trash – but there’s much more to it than that. In the same way that the former All-Pro studies opposing defenses, Metcalf meets with a coach on Tuesdays to hone his signing skills.
DK and the Seahawks enter the board first
????: #SEAvsLAR on CBS
????: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/jckqnJwdb2 pic.twitter.com/byYXgLpJl2– NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2023
The time he devotes to it is noticeable. This doesn’t seem like the work of someone simply Googling how to pronounce specific phrases — a familiar situation for any beginning foreign language learner — said Dr. Kim Kurz, a professor at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf of RIT.
Forbes just wanted to know more about the why and how of it all, speculating that Metcalf is working with someone to perfect his style.
“We all have these questions, but at the same time, we’re all like, ‘F— yeah!'”
Well, here are the answers.
Metcalf, whose signing was first revealed last month, took a summer ASL class in college and began learning the language again at the start of this season. He meets via video call once a week with Darrell Utley, a Tennessee-based instructor with whom Metcalf is connected through his agency.
Utley said he didn’t know Metcalf was a NFL player when he started lessons. He said in an email that the former Pro Bowler is “a curious and open-minded student” who is “dedicated and committed to learning sign language.”
Metcalf, 25, said he began learning ASL as a way to “exercise his mind” and get away from playing football (he previously took acting classes for the same reason and is also studying the guitar). The trash-talking potential was an afterthought.
But for the Deaf community, it’s more than just a popular athletic pastime. It’s a cause for celebration for some, and at least a topic of conversation for others.
Kurz, who is deaf, said through an interpreter that Metcalf’s use of sign language had become a “hot topic.”
“Honestly, deaf people are pretty tired of other people who just want to learn sign language for the sole purpose of learning foul language or curse signs,” Kurz explained, noting that Metcalf didn’t get into that. territory – until now. “We would much prefer if people were actually interested in learning ASL because they would like to communicate with Deaf people or learn about Deaf culture and community. »
Metcalf said he likes to “just shine a light on the ASL community, the Deaf community, where more and more people are starting to learn ASL and starting to pay attention to, ‘What is is he going to sign next, or what is he signing? »
Some have suggested that referees, coaches and other players should also learn how to sign, Kurz said. It’s a natural choice, as football already has roots in sign language, including the creation of the group.
Dr. Joseph Hill, an RIT associate professor who studies Black Sign Language, also said that some deaf people are suspicious “any time someone learns a language from a linguistic minority for a selfish reason.” This is because hearing people have a long history of using ASL “for their own gain” and not for the benefit of the deaf community, Hill wrote in an email.
For this reason, Utley also said it is important for people interested in learning ASL to be exposed through deaf teachers “for authenticity” and to support deaf businesses.
Forbes thinks Metcalf’s ASL zingers are “simply brilliant” and not “appropriation at all,” although he questions whether a deaf athlete without Metcalf’s stature would feel empowered to make similar comments. He added: “What he’s doing is really putting our language in the spotlight – and being a bit clever in doing it. »
DK Metcalf’s first sign language celebration took place after a TD against the Rams on November 19. (Photo: Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The first time Metcalf gained traction through the use of ASL, he flew somewhat under the radar. “44, my son,” he signed towards Rams cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon after beating him for a touchdown on November 19.
But the second time, when he signed “standing on business” against the Cowboys last week it took off.
“The community was on fire with this (the second time), everyone is just excited to see what more he does and what other football players do,” Forbes said. “It further shows me and the community as a whole that sign language is so cool.
“To be able to see this on a mainstream platform, in a professional sports league, speaks volumes.”
After landing, DK Metcalf said “get to work” in sign language ????
???? @NFL pic.twitter.com/HaPuEO1Xts
– The Athletic (@TheAthletic) December 1, 2023
Metcalf got the idea to sign “up for business” from his teammate Boye Maféa linebacker who also knows ASL. Mafe signs “I love you” towards the sky as part of his pre-match ritual to honor his mother, who died in 2018.
The phrase Metcalf uses is an amalgam of cultures, Hill noted — a recently popularized part of African American Vernacular English, which, much like ASL, has a unique structure, syntax and grammar that differs from English.
That smooth delivery is simply “based on his personality,” Utley said, adding that the two hadn’t specifically prepared for touchdown celebrations. Utley was “surprised” that Metcalf took his new skills to use on the field when he saw it on the news.
“Everyone has their own style and personality that comes through when they use sign language,” the instructor added.
Forbes said it was refreshing to see Metcalf “doing something cool with (ASL) and turning people’s heads” when most people spread it through more traditional means, like teaching and interpretation. The ripple effect is already move on to other sports.
It is also the latest in a series of measures taken by football stakeholders around Deaf inclusion. While ASL performers during the Super Bowl national anthem have been the norm for years as part of a partnership with the National Association of the Deaf and deaf civil rights advocate Alexis Kashar, the appearance from Forbes alongside fellow deaf rapper Wawa marked the first ASL performers at halftime. to show. Last year, deaf artist Justina Miles wrote Rihanna’s hits.
The league also recently launched a line of goods with ASL.
Forbes and Kurz characterized the NFL as being at the forefront of inclusion when it comes to the deaf community, but I wonder if we might one day see broadcast elements like an ASL journalist taking things to the next level.
It would also be a bonus if Metcalf could use his platform to draw attention and educate people about the importance of learning sign language to communicate with deaf people, Kurz said.
Turns out Metcalf feels the same way.
“I think it’s just awesome to be able to challenge myself to learn something new and just bring light to a community that I didn’t know felt invisible or felt like ‘be forgotten,’ Metcalf said.
What started as a hobby could have briefly crossed over into the realm of gadgets with the possibilities of trash talk for a player who paid about $100,000 in fines for his personal on-field conduct. But for Metcalf, it remains serious.
“Simply put, I’m trying to learn a new language.”
(Top photos: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images and Steven Bisig / USA Today)
