When Andrew Beck first took a sign language course as part of his degree requirement at the University of Texas, the corporate communication major liked it so much he took another course.
What he learned there made him proficient enough to hold full conversations whenever he came across anybody in the community who happened to be hearing impaired. The latest such instance came during a hospital visit Friday (Dec. 28) while in New Orleans for the Allstate Sugar Bowl game set for Tuesday against Georgia.
With that, the first-team all-Big 12 tight end found himself at the center of a feel-good viral video moment that caught the attention of Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, among many others.
“It is cool to use our platform to promote other things,” said Beck, a fifth-year senior who has 27 receptions for 276 yards with two touchdowns. “Hopefully that spreads a little more interest to the deaf community and raises a little awareness for the things that they go through.”
In the video, Beck could be seen communicating through sign language with a family he had been told was hard of hearing. He said a nurse told him there aren’t many people at the hospital the family can talk to because not a lot of people there know how to sign.
“The best part was seeing the surprise on their face,” he said. “It was cool.”
The video posted on the Sugar Bowl Twitter page drew more than 1.1 million views as of late Saturday afternoon. Watt noticed the video earlier in the day and retweeted it with a message that said, “This is awesome.”
Beck doesn’t have a Twitter page, he said, but his mother does. She noticed the message from Watt and pointed it out to her son.
“She’s more excited about that than anybody,” Beck said.
To Beck, the attention gained illustrated the possible impact he and other athletes could have with their actions. He referenced Watt and LeBron James among superstar athletes who use their platform for good. By no means, he said, was he comparing himself to them.
He hopes to keep his sign language skills sharp even after he completes his college career. He said he’s met hearing impaired people in and around Austin, including during a recent visit with the Texas School for the Deaf football team in Austin.
“It is incredible to have the opportunity to promote and impact people in the deaf community," Beck said. "It raises awareness to people outside of the deaf community who not aware of the things they go through.”
Although Texas hasn’t been to a Sugar Bowl since the 1995 season, Beck came to the city once before when his Tampa, Florida-based Plant High School lost to John Curtis 33-3 inside the Dome.
His hope this time, he said, is for a different result. Regardless, he created at least one special memory.
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