Nighttime is a period of quiet stillness, allowing for reflection and then hours of (hopefully) uninterrupted sleep.
For Larry Stephens, that isn’t a problem. The night brings silence and a level of tranquility that is difficult to disturb.
The University of Toledo wide receiver is completely deaf when he takes out his cochlear implants, drifting off to a space that most people can’t fathom.
“It’s a way of me meditating and getting peace and silence,” the sophomore said. “I enjoy having the power to hear or not hear.”
It’s all Stephens has ever known. When he was three years old, he was diagnosed as hard of hearing and given hearing aids. They eventually stopped working, requiring two separate surgeries for cochlear implants.
Hearing, fitting in, and playing sports has never been an issue for the 5-foot-11 Stephens. He can hear perfectly with both implants. If he takes one out, sound is a little softer. It’s silent when they’re both out. There are no safety concerns related to his condition, and he wears a skull cap to keep the implants in place while his helmet is on.
“Everybody knows his situation, but he’s just like everybody else,” UT wide receivers coach Kevin Beard said. “You’re going to get jokes. If he doesn’t want to hear what you have to say, he’ll just take them out.”
Stephens was a two-sport athlete at Springfield High School, turning heads on the basketball court but attracting a bevy of Division I coaches to the football field. The three-star recruit helped lead Springfield to the state semifinals in 2019, racking up 1,127 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. He earned all-district and all-state honors and was named the Greater Western Ohio Conference offensive player of the year.
The production was evident, and Stephens was confident his disability wouldn’t be a barrier to future success.
“I knew the right coach would want to get to know who I am, and that was coach [Jason] Candle and coach Beard,” Stephens said. “Coach Candle was the only coach who asked me about my cochlear implants. That stuck out to me. A lot of coaches didn’t even ask about my hearing. And KB just talked to me about life. We talked about football maybe once or twice. They wanted to get to know me, and that meant a lot.”
Said Beard: “It was a no-brainer based on the talent. His talent overshadows [his disability].”
There was zero hesitation from Candle, who said the coaches weren’t bothered by Stephens’ hearing issues before targeting him with a scholarship offer. They briefly discussed the situation, but it made no sense to back off when they zeroed in on Stephens because of his talent. Why shy away over something that clearly didn’t impede his ability to catch the football?
“Obviously, this is something he deals with and we’re sensitive to it, but I don’t feel like every day there’s a different plan for Larry. We go to practice, he does what he does, and practices hard and gives great effort,” Candle said. “He has a smile on his face every day.”
There are no setbacks because of Stephens’ hearing. He uses the same hand signals that every offensive player utilizes. His attitude is no different from other wide receivers. His energy is just as high. He played in five games last season, and will continue to see snaps in 2022.
There are some differences between him and his teammates, though. They say that your senses are heightened if one of them is reduced, and that is true for Stephens. In high school, he alerted his co-workers at Hardee’s to a fire that no one else could smell. Earlier this year, he walked into the locker room and could smell the lotion he keeps in his locker. Curious, he walked over and asked who was using it? Finally, someone admitted to being the thief, stunned that Stephens could snuff out the prank.
Fellow wide receiver DeMeer Blankumsee was Stephens’ freshman roommate. They quickly grew comfortable with each other and would have conversations about Stephens’ cochlear implants. The incredible skill that Blankumsee came to know is that Stephens can have an entire conversation by reading someone’s lips. (For safety reasons, Stephens has flashing lights and a vibration in his bed to alert him in case of emergency.)
“He’s very open. It’s not like he’s treated any different. He jokes about it. We all joke about it,” Blankumsee said. “I love that about him. He goes out and plays hard every day like any other teammate. He doesn’t let it affect him and goes out there and fights.”
Sight is another sense that Stephens says is enhanced, which, he says, contributes to being the best pass catcher on the team.
“My hands are crazy. They’re the best hands in the receivers room,” he said, grinning ear to ear. “It’s one of the best skills I have out there.”
First Published September 10, 2022, 11:44 p.m.
