Demarico Young is the only active deaf player in college football. The (former) Simpson College star recently entered the transfer portal due to an unfortunate situation regarding his long-time American Sign Language interpreter.
His (former) school reportedly decided to make a change at the position and terminated her contract.
As a result, Young is the top Division-III college football player in search of a new program. He will be in high demand.
Who is Demarico Young?
At 5-foot-5, 160 pounds, Young hails from Sioux City, Iowa. He starred at North High School in two sports. Not only was he impossible to bring down on the gridiron, he qualified for the state championships in track and field in three out of four years and earned a spot at the prestigious Drake relays. And then it was off to college.
Simpson College was established in 1860 as a private Methodist school. Located in Indianola, Iowa, it enrolls approximately 1,100 students. The Storm competes on the Division-III level of NCAA competition in the American Rivers Conference.
Demarico Young played in all 10 games as a freshman and ran for 682 yards and five touchdowns on 142 carries. His sophomore year saw him go for 1,019 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He was the best running back in Division-III in 2025.
To make his accomplishments even more impressive, Young was born deaf. Nick Gordon, sports editor of the Simpsonian, did an awesome feature on the inspiring football player. His disability does not define him but it is big part of his story. He is the only active player in the sport who cannot hear.
Why did he enter the transfer portal?
Demarico Young recently announced his decision to enter the transfer portal. His playing career at Simpson College is over.
Demarico Young
— Demarico Young (@demarico_young) July 12, 2026
RB | Class of 2028
📍 In the Transfer Portal
🏈 5'5" | 160 lbs
🔥 1,701 Rushing Yards
💥 11 Touchdowns
📖 2.5 Gpa #TransferPortal #CollegeFootball #RunningBack #ClassOf2028 pic.twitter.com/9VtJZiNUEu
Unfortunately, it sounds like the decision was not one that he necessarily wanted to make. According to Bryan Gauvin, it stemmed from a change to his ASL interpreter.
Simpson College terminated the contract with the sign language interpreter that Young had been working with since high school, dating back to at least 2021. The switch likely had to do with cost. Different interpreters have different rates. The school made a change.
As a result, so did its running back. Gauvin explained why Young might not want to work with the new interpreter.
“DeMarico has built a strong connection with his interpreter because she understands how to effectively communicate and convey his thoughts, emotions, and feelings to others. Not every interpreter is the same, and sometimes a particular interpreter is not the right fit for a specific client.
Think about it like different dialects within a language, such as Spanish. While two people may speak the same language, the way they communicate, express themselves, and understand each other can be very different. The way DeMarico’s interpreter communicates and delivers messages is what works best for him.”
Young uses a live interpreter instead of ‘Video Remote Interpreting’ because it creates a more personal and effective form of communication. That in-person connection is even more important as a football player who must communicate on the field.
Although his interpreter currently lives in Nebraska and travels to help meet his needs, Young would prefer to stay in Iowa if possible. His decision to enter the transfer portal is to make sure that he have the right people around him to communicate fully.