Shaq'ke Robinson perseveres through adversity as a deaf collegiate athlete
Shaq: ‘I am the same as anyone else and can accomplish what I choose to do. We need to embrace peoples differences we are all in this together’
The game of football can be a challenging sport for anyone playing at any level. For Shaq’Ke Robinson, it’s a game he loves, but playing comes with its own challenges. Robinson is a deaf student-athlete who has been playing the game for years.
Robinson, known as “Shaq” to his teammates, plays defensive line for the Henderson State Reddies, located in Arkadelphia, AR. The 23-year-old was born in Jacksonville, AR, which is an hour northeast of Henderson.
Shaq has been a critical piece for the Reddies’ defense this season, recording twelve tackles, four sacks, and five tackles for loss. Not only has he had a great season helping the Reddies to a 3-0 record, but he also was awarded “Conference Defensive Player of the Week” for the first time with seven tackles, a pair of sacks, and a blocked field goal.
Trying to persevere through adversity
Shaq has faced adversity playing football. Playing as a deaf collegiate athlete can create different obstacles, such as getting play calls and helping line up.
"When I’m on the field, my interpreter will sign a play in; my linebacker responds to this and taps me on the butt,” Robinson said about how he gets the play from the sideline.
Shaq also uses this as an advantage, “as the quarterback is at the line, I don’t have to worry about any extra calls or hard counts.”
He uses this as an advantage to avoid any unnecessary penalties, “I cannot hear smack talk allowing me to focus on my play. This usually makes them mad because I don’t yell back.”
Shaq attended the Arkansas School of Deaf in Little Rock in high school. During his senior year, the school would lose football, causing him to transfer to a public school. Shaq would attend Jacksonville high school and have to adapt to a new school system for a year before heading to college.
One of the hardest things about transitioning to a new school was “the lack of communication with hearing people who don’t understand sign language,” said the young player.
Shaq also mentioned “feeling left out” coming from the school for the deaf. Making friends was hard, and learning was complex in his new environment. “Teachers would show videos without captions,” Robinson said.
Earlier this year, Shaq started a GoFund Me with a goal of $7,000 to help him raise money for a new cochlear implant.
“A cochlear implant will allow me to hear sounds from the environment and be able to hear. I won’t be able to hear everything but will be able to identify noises like whistles, crying, and buzzers.”
Shaq mentions he hopes to pursue a career in coaching. His hope is that by raising the money, he would be able to better interact with students and provide a safer environment for everyone.
His goal is to give back to others
Shaq aspires to give back to the community by helping others realize he’s just everyone else. He also previously created workshops at Henderson for his peers to learn ASL. Shaq is also very thankful for those who have contributed and continue to donate to the link on his Facebook page.
Shaq will graduate this December with Cum Laude Honors. He will go on to give back to the community by teaching students, and he hopes that he can open doors for others to achieve the same success.
In all this, Shaq never lost sight of his biggest supporters. “My parents, coaches, interpreters, and the disability center at Henderson. These people are my team; they have my back they are also very accepting and continue to help me by giving me access to whatever I need.”
“I am the same as anyone else and can accomplish what I choose to do. We need to embrace people’s differences; we are all in this together,” said Shaq.
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