Star NFL wide receiver and Oxford native D.K. Metcalf has found a new, creative way to talk trash to his opponents while avoiding the infamous yellow flag for a taunting violation.
Though the Seattle Seahawks’ sensation is known as one of the top players in his position at the professional level, displaying elite speed and special athletic abilities, he also has another skill at his disposal.
In 2017, Metcalf, an Ole Miss student at the time, enrolled in a summer American Sign Language course under the guidance of communication sciences and disorders instructor Ronda Bryan. From there, the football player quickly picked up the art of communicating with his hands, per Bryan, and later began to convey humorous messages via his sign language prowess in NFL games.
“He had fun. He was funny. He was really a quick learner… He just picked it up so quickly,” Bryan said of Metcalf as a student on Good Things with Rebecca Turner. “I was thrilled that, after all these years, he’s kind of picked it back up and is using it on his platform.”
Bryan now takes pride in her pupil using a language method that is not comprehended by the vast majority of the general public. The instructor contends that Metcalf is inadvertently raising awareness for an underrepresented community of deaf and hearing-impaired people through his newfound celebrations.
“He’s just kind of a lifelong learner… As far as the sign language is concerned, he was kind of using that to trash talk and not get in trouble for it, but the result has been — wow — the deaf community has just been thrilled and it just brings awareness to this community that’s oftentimes overlooked,” Bryan said. “I’ve just been so proud of him for using his platform and doing this.”
While at Ole Miss, the son of former Rebel great and Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame member Terrence Metcalf, overcame a broken foot in his debut with the team and showcased prolific abilities alongside now Philadelphia Eagles standout A.J. Brown. Metcalf logged 1,228 total yards and 14 touchdowns before declaring for the NFL Draft after his junior campaign.
A second-round draft pick in 2019, Metcalf is entering his sixth season with the Seahawks and has amassed an impressive 5,332 yards and 43 touchdowns on 372 receptions during his time in Seattle. He also dominated highlight reels nationwide after chasing down Arizona Cardinals defensive back Budda Baker, who had a 10-yard head start, to prevent a pick-six in an October 2020 NFC West showdown.
Watch the full interview with Bryan below.
