G’Ivori Graham overcame physical challenge to succeed in every way.
SAN ANTONIO — Before taking his talents to TCU and Fort Worth, Harlan Hawks senior running back G’Ivori Graham is hoping to help his team advance in the UIL State Playoffs Friday night against Dripping Springs at Alamo Stadium.
Graham lost his hearing at age 4, but that hasn’t slowed him down on the football field. Using a combination of lip reading, hand signals, and acute vision, Graham has become one of the state’s top high school running backs.
“What I hear most of the time is just sounds,” Graham said. “I can’t hear any words. Everything is just completely like noise. Echoes and things like that. It is just sounds everywhere.”
Despite this, Graham has adapted seamlessly to the game. Coaches rely on hand signals and visual cues, which Graham says feel natural to him because of his experience with sign language. “Sometimes when I miss a hand signal I would look at the quarterback, or the coaches would make a hand tap or just point numbers,” he said.
Graham’s vision and instincts have made him a standout.
“I have very quick vision, and every time I see an opening, I see it and go bust through that hole,” he said.
Teammates and coaches have praised his abilities.
“He has it all,” said Head Coach Eddie Salas. “Strength, size, speed – you name it. I’m going to cry when he walks that stage because it’s going to be a big loss for Harlan High School.”
Quarterback Aldric Trotter added, “There are times I don’t see the cutback, but he does. I’m like, oh, he’s going to be stopped, and the next thing you know he’s gone for an 80-yard touchdown.”
Graham said he approaches life with the same determination he shows on the field.
“It doesn’t matter if you are blind or deaf. If you feel like you can do something, you can do it,” Graham said.
Salas echoed that sentiment. “When people want to talk about his disability, I tell them you should see his abilities. Everything is possible.”
Graham will continue his football career at TCU, where he hopes to prove that ability, not disability, defines success.
“Everything is possible,” Graham said. “You just got to believe in God and don’t give up.”