Calling an Audible: Patriots Helping Deaf Pop Warner Player Return to the Football Field
The New England Patriots Alumni Club presented Kyle Florio, a deaf Pop Warner football player in Franklin, with a $2,000 check last month to go towards his family's $7,000 goal to hire an American Sign Language interpreter for Florio to understand plays.
Editor's note: The following was written by Zach Groen. Kyle Florio gazed out on the field at Gillette Stadium and tried to focus on his team’s scrimmage during halftime of the New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles Monday Night Football preseason matchup on Aug. 20. Although Florio wasn’t in pads for the contest, he donned his Franklin Chargers jersey and cheered on his teammates from the sidelines. While every Pop Warner player dreams of playing a game under the lights in an NFL stadium such as Gillette, Kyle is focused on simply playing. Born deaf like his father, mother and two brothers, Kyle has a big hurdle to take on before he can return to the football field. Kyle requires an American Sign Language interpreter to relay plays …
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