Born with hearing loss, linebacker Battle Gideons hoping to lead UChicago football to first playoff game
Under first-year head coach Craig Knoche, University of Chicago football is poised to play in the postseason for the first time in program history with one more win.
Aptly named linebacker Battle Gideons, the man in the middle of the defense, is leading the charge for the Maroons, and the sophomore plays football with a passion.
"Yeah, he's a middle linebacker, you know what I'm saying? In every sense of the word. So very, very physical, and we joke with him sometimes about maybe coming over to offense to help us out too, because he does have that physical edge to him," Knoche said.
Battle faced challenges when he first started playing tackle football in 7th grade.
"When this magnet is off of my head, I can't hear anything. So I can't hear anything out of my left ear right now. When I put it back on, obviously, I can hear to the best of my abilities," he said.
Gideons was born with hearing loss and has cochlear implants.
"Moderate to severe I believe is the correct term. So, I had very minimal hearing from the get-go," he said. "I got implanted with my right at about 16 months and my left at 6. So there's a little bit of a difference there. People that are close to me know that I always want to be on their left side, so my right ear is closer to them, just because I hear a little bit better with that," he said.
Hand signals help with communicating defensive play calls, but finding proper equipment is key to protecting his implants from impact.
"That was a great journey, figuring out how we're going to do this. I tried a headband, ended up settling on a beanie. I wear a beanie, and the beanie goes over the implants, which holds it down, compresses my head a little bit, so that they won't fall off," Gideons said.
His helmet was the main priority. His dad first had the idea of creating space around the ear holes. Then manufacturers stepped in.
"We were able to get with the reps at high school, and now UChicago, and they were able to actually go into helmets themselves and stitch it out," Gideons said.
The adjustments to his helmet simply allow Gideons to be who he is on the field: someone who battles.
"He's able to be accommodated in a way where he can play the game he loved without even having to think about it. So I think that's what special," Knoche said.
"You're going to have to deal with adversity at times. Crowded situations can be a little tough, but I'm always willing to advocate for myself," Gideons said.
This season, Gideons is embracing an expanded role in the Maroons' defense, and is focused on helping the team reach its goals; all while inspiring others as well.
"We want to win; you know, make a mark with as many people as possible. I tell all other younger kids that I meet with hearing loss with cochlear implants that want to play football that the beanie strategy has worked a lot. This sport has facilitated me into an amazing university, so I can't thank it enough," Gideons said.
Gideons said his younger sister, Harper, is his biggest ally. She was also born with severe hearing loss, but it hasn't stopped her from competing either. She plays basketball at Colorado College.
The Maroons face the Lake Forest College Foresters on Saturday for their regular season finale. A win will guarantee them a berth in the Smileycookie.com Lakefront Bowl, their first postseason game in program history.