BURLINGTON, N.C. — Football players use most of their senses to keep track of the ball, but one triad player doesn't have that advantage.
Friday we met a young man who doesn't let being *deaf* hold him back.
Senior Jordan McDowell may be deaf, but he has a smile and a story that inspires the entire Burlington Williams community.
At a school that is rich with football tradition, the senior has left his mark in the bulldog history books.
McDowell may get lost amongst the many faces of the Burlington Williams football team on Friday nights, but once you meet him, you'll know he's more than a football player, he's an inspiration.
"This is my first year playing football. I'm a senior, but this is my first year playing football," Defensive Lineman, Jordan McDowell, said.
McDowell is your prototypical high school athlete.
However, he's completely deaf and that's something head coach Patrick Stokes, his staff, and his team have never experienced before.
"He's had some things that we've had to overcome, us as coaches too," coach Stokes explains. "The way we communicate typically we've had to learn new ways. Our players have embraced him and accepted him and helped him. There are some places his translators can't go, like the locker room. The boys have done a wonderful job making sure he has all the resources he needs to be successful, I'm very proud of our team."
However, if you ask his teammates, he's done more for them than they could ever do for him.
"He has guts, I'll give him that. He's got a lot of guts, I could never imagine it. I hope people that see this learn that yeah he can't hear anything, but he's still doing something he loves," Wide Receiver Dominic Lubitz Jr. said.