Regardless, the limitation hasn’t stopped the 17-year-old senior from playing football for the Golden Eagles.

"I enjoy football," Rios said through interpreter Frances Martinez, who has helped deaf students with their education, including playing sports, in the Brownsville Independent School District for the past 15 years or so.

"It’s interesting and I like the sport," Rios added. "I don’t want to be there just doing nothing, and that’s why I like to play on the team."

Rios, Martinez and the rest of the Eagles will be on hand tonight when Hanna (3-4 overall, 1-3 in District 32-5A) takes on Rivera (4-3, 1-3) at Sams Memorial Stadium. Kickoff for the 32-5A contest is 7:30.

Over the years, Hanna has had a number of deaf players on its football team, Martinez said. According to the interpreter, a year or two ago, there were four or five deaf players on the Hanna squad.

Most of the time, she said, the deaf athletes play on defense so they can react to the movement of the ball. Rios, 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds, is one of the few who has played wide receiver.

Martinez uses sign language to communicate with Rios, letting him know what the coaches want him to do. She’s also there to assist Justin whenever he needs help interpreting what is being said. She said interpreters are usually assigned to deaf athletes at Hanna when the students first come to the campus as freshmen and they stay with the students until they graduate.

"The uniqueness of Justin is that he is one of our first receivers here at Hanna," said Martinez, a certified interpreter for the deaf who estimates that she assists as many as 20 hearing-impaired students during the course of the school day. "Justin has been quite dedicated. This is his fourth year on the team and he’s always here for practice. The team may not be quite that successful, but like the other players, he’s always here, and I think that’s character building."

Hanna head coach Tony Padilla said Rios is a starter on the Eagles’ one-back and no-back offensive packages. The highlight of Rios’ season so far was catching a touchdown pass in the Eagles’ 52-0 non-district win over Monterrey Prep on Sept. 10.

"I was proud of myself and very happy," Rios said through Martinez when asked about his TD reception. "It was the first time I had done something like that."

Rios, who also competes as a hurdler in track, said he feels comfortable on the team and added that his teammates are supportive. He said he has known a number of them since middle school.

Actually, Rios lives in Harlingen and attends Hanna because of the educational opportunities available there for deaf students. He rides the bus to and from school everyday.

Despite long school days made even longer by his participation in sports, Rios said his parents are supportive of his desire to play football.

"My parents encouraged me and they let me know that if I wanted to play I could go ahead and join," Rios said through his interpreter. "I think they are happy to see me play."

Padilla, who is in his first season as Hanna’s head coach, said he is pleased to have Rios on the team.

"Playing receiver is perfect for Justin because all our routes have hand signals," Padilla said. "We give him the signal and he knows what route to run. He’s an intelligent kid and he’s a tough competitor. Everything he does he does full speed.

"I’d say maybe three-fourths of our team knows sign language because of Justin," he added. "The kids communicate with him all the time. It’s like knowing another language."

Concerning Martinez’s role on the team, Padilla said, "Frances is probably one of the best coaches I have out here. She knows everything. She’ll be out there giving signals to Justin and then she’ll tell one of the other players, ‘Move over, you’re in the wrong technique." She knows a lot of football."

Padilla said he has learned some basics of sign language and added that other Hanna coaches have, too.

One of those coaches is Alex Anzaldua, who works with Hanna’s receivers.

"We almost forget that Justin is deaf," Anzaldua said. "I treat him like everyone else, which is a great testament to him that he is able to fit in and do everything that everyone else is doing.

"He doesn’t miss a step," Anzaldua added. "I wish I had him for another year. It makes me feel good to see him do well. There are a lot of kids out there who maybe are not deaf but who have a handicap or something and it just shows them that anybody can go out there and overcome great obstacles if they are determined, they don’t get discouraged and they try.

"Nobody’s really limited because you’re only limited by the limits you put on yourself. Justin shows that everyday in practice. I believe he’s going to be a very successful person, not only in athletics, but throughout his whole life, and I wish him the best of luck."

By Roy Hess
http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/sports_more.php?id=67699_0_9_0_C