Not only is DK Metcalf learning American Sign Language and using it on a national stage — it’s that, even as an avowed beginner, he’s doing it with a level of proficiency that shows he’s got it.
“He has the swag with him. And that’s half the battle sometimes with signing,” said Sean Forbes, one of the deaf rappers break 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 vibes, the way your hands move and flow has to be there. … He has a rhythm to it, where most beginners who sign will be more erratic.”
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 quipped that the training may help him avoid fines for trash-talking — but there’s more to it. In the same way the former All-Pro studies defensive tackles, Metcalf meets every Tuesday with a coach to sharpen his signing skills.
DK and the Seahawks got on the board first
📺: #SEAvsLAR on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/jckqnJwdb2 pic.twitter.com/byYXgLpJl2— NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2023
His timing is remarkable. It doesn’t appear to be the work of someone just Googling how to say certain phrases — a familiar situation for any new foreign language learner — said Dr. Kim Kurz, a professor at RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf.
Forbes just wants to know more about the whys and hows of it all, assuming Metcalf is working with someone to hone her style.
“We all have those questions, but at the same time, we’re all like, ‘F— yeah!’”
Well, here are the answers.
Metcalf, whose signing was first announced last month, took an ASL summer class in college and relearned the language at the start of this season. He meets by video call once a week with Darrell Utley, a Tennessee-based instructor Metcalf connected with through his agency.
Utley said he didn’t know Metcalf was an NFL player when they first started taking lessons. He said in an email that the former Pro Bowler was “an inquisitive and open-minded student” who was “committed and committed to learning sign language.”
Metcalf, 25, said he started learning ASL as a way to “exercise his mind” and take it off football (he used to take acting classes for the same reason, and is also pursuing the guitar). The potential to talk trash is a second thought.
But in the Deaf community, it’s more than just a popular athletic pastime. It’s a cause for celebration for some, and at least a conversation starter 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 tired of others who just want to learn sign language for the sole purpose of learning bad words or curse signs,” Kurz explained, noting that Metcalf has yet to transition. in that territory – for now. “We’d rather people show an interest in learning ASL because they want to communicate with Deaf people, or want to learn about Deaf culture and the Deaf community.”
Metcalf said he enjoys “just bringing light to the ASL community, the Deaf community, where more people are starting to learn ASL and starting to be careful about, ‘What’s he going to sign next, or what’s going to sign him?’ ”
Some have suggested that referees, coaches and other players should learn to sign as well, Kurz said. It’s a natural fit, since football already has its roots in sign language — including the creation of a huddle.
Dr. Joseph Hill, an RIT associate professor who researches Black Sign Language, also said that some deaf people are wary “when someone learns a language from a linguistic minority for a self-serving reason.” That’s because of a deep history of hearing people using ASL “for their own benefit” and not for the benefit of the Deaf community, Hill wrote in an email.
For that reason, Utley also said it’s important for people interested in learning ASL to get exposure through Deaf teachers “for authenticity” and to support Deaf businesses.
Forbes thinks Metcalf’s ASL zingers are “just great” and not “at all appropriation,” though he wonders if a deaf athlete of Metcalf’s stature would feel empowered to deliver similar comments. . He added: “What he’s doing is really putting a spotlight on our language – and quite cleverly doing it.”
DK Metcalf’s first sign-language celebration occurred after a TD against the Rams on Nov. 19. (Photo: Brandon Sloter / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
When Metcalf first gained traction for ASL use, it flew somewhat under the radar. “44, my son,” he signed toward Rams cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon after tackling him for a touchdown on Nov. 19.
But the second time, when he signed “standing on business” against the Cowboys last week, it started.
“The community is just on fire for it (the second time around), everybody’s just looking forward to seeing what else he does and what other football players do,” Forbes said. “It further shows me and the community as a whole that sign language is very cool.
“To see that on a major platform, in a professional sports league, speaks volumes.”
After his touchdown, DK Metcalf said “stand on business” in sign language 👀
🎥 @NFL pic.twitter.com/HaPuEO1Xts
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) December 1, 2023
Metcalf got the idea to sign “standing on business” from teammate Boye Mafe, a linebacker who also knows ASL. Mafe signed “I love you” in the sky as part of his pregame ritual to honor his mother, who died in 2018.
The phrase used by Metcalf is an amalgam of cultures, Hill said — a recently popularized part of African American Vernacular English, which like ASL has a unique structure, syntax and grammar that differs from English.
That smooth delivery was “just based on his personality,” Utley said, adding that the pair didn’t prepare for touchdown celebrations specifically. Utley was “surprised” that Metcalf brought out his new skills on the field when he saw it on the news.
“Everyone has their own style and personality that shines through when they use sign language,” added the instructor.
Forbes said it was refreshing to see Metcalf “do something cool with (ASL) and to make people’s heads go crazy” when most people spread it through more traditional means, like of teaching and interpretation. The ripple effect that making its way to other sports.
It is also the latest in a series of moves made by those involved in football around Deaf inclusion. While ASL performers during the Super Bowl national anthem have been standard for years as part of a partnership with the National Association of the Deaf and deaf civil rights lawyer Alexis Kashar, Forbes’ appearance with fellow deaf rapper that Wawa marked the first ASL performers in the halftime show. Last year, deaf performer Justina Miles signed Rihanna’s hits.
The league was also launched recently a line of merchandise featuring ASL.
Both Forbes and Kurz describe the NFL as a leader in inclusion when it comes to the Deaf community, but wondered if one day we’ll see broadcast segments like an ASL reporter to take things to the next level.
It would also be a bonus if Metcalf could use his platform to raise awareness and educate people about the importance of learning sign language to communicate with the deaf, Kurz said.
Turns out, Metcalf feels the same way.
“I think it’s great to challenge myself to learn something new and just to shine a light on a community that I didn’t know that felt invisible or felt like they were forgotten,” Metcalf said.
What started as a pastime may have moved briefly into the gimmick domain with trash-talking possibilities for a player who has racked up around $100,000 in fines for personal conduct on the field. But for Metcalf, it remains serious.
“I’m trying to learn a new language, in other words.”
(Top photos: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images and Steven Bisig / USA Today)
