Four Deaf Players From Riverside Honored On-Field As Super Bowl Guests
INGLEWOOD (CBSLA) - Four football players from the California School for the Deaf in Riverside were on the field as honored guests Sunday during the coin toss for Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.
Trevin Adams, Christian Jimenez, Jory Valencia and Enos Zornoza were invited by the NFL to stand with the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals captains in recognition of CSDR's stellar season.
"That game is something I will never forget for the rest of my life," Adams told CBSLA Monday.
They were joined by tennis legend Billie Jean King, girls youth tackle football players from the Inglewood Chargers and Watts Rams, and high school girls from the Flag Football League of Champions.
The "collective trailblazers" were chosen as part of the NFL's celebration of Americans who defy stereotypes.
"We thought are you kidding me?" said Keith Adams, head coach for the California School for the Deaf Riverside football team. "This can't be. You've never seen that before. Deaf individuals on the Superbowl football field?"
The Cubs went 12-1 last fall, with the only loss coming to Faith Baptist of Canoga Park in the Southern Section 8-man Division 2 final.
Adams, Jimenez, Valencia and Zornoza wore their jerseys when they took the field to participate in the coin toss. The NFL has named the boys honorary captains as part of the outing.
There will also be deaf artists performing in the halftime show, officials said.
Before the honorary captains stepped onto the field, King narrated a special tribute to the 50th anniversary of Title IX and the impact the equal opportunity law made on the landscape of education and sports.
"It is an honor to stand with these outstanding student athletes and celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX on one of the world's biggest stages," the tennis legend said. "It's hard to understand inclusion until you have been excluded, and I am proud to be part of this year's Super Bowl coin toss and the NFL's commitment to bring us together and make us stronger."
