Not only is DK Metcalf learning American Sign Language and using it on the national stage, but, even as an elite rookie, he is doing so with a level of finesse that shows he just gets it.
“He’s got a swag with it. Signing is half the battle sometimes,” said Sean Forbes, one of the deaf rappers who broke barriers at the Super Bowl halftime show two years ago with Eminem, Snoop Dogg and other hip-hop stars. To have nuances and feelings and the way your hands move and flow. …He had the right rhythm to it, where most rookie signees are a little more volatile.”
Metcalf, the Seattle Seahawks wide receiver, has put a new twist on the typical NFL celebration this season, signing a one-liner in the end zone in recent games against the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys. He’s quipped that the practice could help him avoid fines for trash talk — but there’s much more to it than that. In the same way the former All-Pro studies opposing defenses, Metcalf meets every Tuesday with a coach to hone his signing skills.
The time spent is noticeable. This doesn’t appear to be the work of someone just Googling how to pronounce specific phrases — a situation familiar to any novice foreign language learner, said Dr. Kim Kurz, a professor at RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf.
Forbes just wanted to know more about why and how this happened, and speculated that Metcalfe was working with someone to hone his technique.
“Every one of us has these questions, but at the same time, every one of us says, ‘F— yeah!’”
Well, here are the answers.
Metcalf, whose signing debuted last month, took a summer ASL class in college and resumed learning the language at the start of this season. He meets via video call once a week with Darrell Utley, a Tennessee-based teacher Metcalf communicates with through his agency.
Utley said he didn’t know Metcalf was an NFL player when they first started lessons. The former Pro Bowler is a “curious and outgoing student” who is “devoted and committed to learning sign language,” he said in an email.
Metcalfe, 25, said he started learning American Sign Language as a way to “exercise his mind” and give up football (he previously took acting lessons for the same reason, and is also studying guitar). The possibility of talking trash was an afterthought.
But for the deaf community, it’s more than just a popular sporting pastime. It’s a cause for celebration for some, and at least a conversation starter for others.
Curtis, who is deaf, said through an interpreter that Metcalfe’s use of sign language had become a “hot topic.”
“Deaf people are absolutely fed up with others who just want to learn sign language for the sole purpose of learning bad language or curse signs,” Curtis explained, noting that Metcalf has not veered into that field — yet. “We prefer that people show interest in learning American Sign Language because they want to communicate with deaf people, or they want to learn about deaf culture and the deaf community.”
Metcalf said he enjoys “shedding the spotlight on the American Sign Language community, the deaf community, as more people are starting to learn ASL and starting to pay attention to, ‘What is he going to sign next, or what is he going to sign?’”
Some have suggested referees, coaches and other players learn to sign as well, Curtis said. It’s a natural fit, as football already has sign language roots – including the creation of rallies.
Some deaf people worry “when someone learns a language from a linguistic minority for a self-serving reason,” said Dr. Joseph Hale, an associate professor at RIT who researches black sign language. This is because of the deep history of hearing people using ASL “for their own interests” and not for the benefit of the deaf community, Hill wrote in an email.
For this reason, Utley also said it’s important for people interested in learning American Sign Language to get to know deaf educators “for authenticity” and to support deaf work.
Forbes believes Metcalf’s members in the ASL are “just wonderful” and not an appropriation “at all,” though he wondered whether a deaf athlete of Metcalf’s stature would feel empowered to make similar comments. “What he’s doing is actually shining a light on our language — and being a bit clever in doing so,” he added.
The first time Metcalf gained traction for using American Sign Language, he somewhat flew under the radar. “44 my son” He signed for Rams cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon after beating him for a touchdown on November 19.
But the second time around, when he signed a “stand up for business” against the Cowboys last week, it took off.
“The community was fired up about it (the second time around), and everyone was looking forward to seeing what he was doing and what more other footballers were doing,” Forbes said. “This shows me and the community as a whole that sign language is so wonderful.
“To be able to see that on a major platform, in a professional sports league, means a lot.”
Metcalf took the idea of signing Stand Up Action from teammate Boye Mafe, a linebacker who also knows ASL. Mafi signs “I love you” in the sky as part of a pre-game ritual to honor his mother, who died in 2018.
Hill noted that the phrase Metcalfe used is a cross-cultural mixture, a recently popular part of African American Vernacular English, which just like American Sign Language has a unique structure, syntax and grammar that differs from English.
That smooth delivery “just depends on his personality,” Utley said, adding that the duo didn’t prepare for the touchdown celebrations specifically. Utley was “amazed” that Metcalf took advantage of his new skills on the field when he saw them on the news.
The coach added: “Every person has his own style and personality that appears when he uses sign language.”
Forbes said it’s refreshing to see Metcalf “doing something cool with (American Sign Language) and kind of getting people’s attention” while most people spread it through more traditional means, like teaching and interpreting. The ripple effect is already making its way into other sports.
It is also the latest in a series of moves by those involved in football around deaf inclusion. While interpreters during the Super Bowl’s national anthem have been standard for years, Forbes’ halftime appearance alongside deaf rapper Wawa marked the show’s first ASL performers. Last year, deaf artist Justina Miles signed Rihanna’s songs.
The association, which has partnered with the National Association of the Deaf, also recently launched a line of merchandise featuring ASL.
Forbes and Kurz both described the NFL as being on the cutting edge of inclusion when it comes to the deaf community, but wondered if one day we could see broadcast components like an ASL correspondent taking things to the next level.
It would also be a bonus if Metcalf could use his platform to attract people’s attention and educate them about the importance of learning sign language to communicate with deaf people, Curtis said.
It turns out Metcalf feels the same.
“I think it’s great to challenge myself to learn something new and to shine a light on a community that I didn’t know felt invisible or felt forgotten,” Metcalf said.
What started as a hobby may have briefly devolved into a gimmick field with the potential for trash talking for a player who has paid nearly $100,000 in fines for personal behavior on the field. But for Metcalfe, it remains serious.
“I’m trying to learn a new language, simple as that.”
(Top photos: Sean M. Hafey/Getty Images and Steven Bisig/USA Today)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf’s recent use of sign language during his touchdown celebrations has sparked a lively discussion within the deaf community. His unique and innovative approach has been met with both praise and criticism, with many applauding his efforts to incorporate sign language into the game, while others question the authenticity of his expressions. Regardless of the controversy, there is no denying that Metcalf’s use of sign language has captured the attention of both football fans and the deaf community, with many acknowledging that he has a certain “swag” with it.