Gallaudet University School for the Deaf Makes D-III Football Playoff Debut

Washington D.C.'s Gallaudet University is a school for the deaf and hard of hearing - they also compete in the NCAA Division III. Even more, their football team just posted an unprecedented 9-1 season and clinched their first conference championship en route to their first NCAA Playoff bid.

For the 118-year old program, this year is full of firsts. Their 6' 6" 292 lb. defensive end Adham Talaat is being scouted by the NFL ranks and it's the first year the school is holding organized pep rallies; "Students come up to us all the time now and ask, 'Are you ready?' " Talaat says. Things weren't always this way for the NFL prospect - before enrolling at Gallaudet, Talaat was unpacking boxes at a local Target after high school and maintained his workout routine by asking his high school janitors to let him in his former school's weight room. Today, Talaat is an academic All-American with a 3.9 GPA at Gallaudet.

Maybe the most amazing thing about this team is that it maintains an NFL sized roster - merely 54 players - compared to the typical 90+ of other D-III football programs. Their old-school style of football consists of running the triple option, averaging 51 yards passing a game, and leading the nation in time of possession.

For a program that ranked 234th out of 238 teams less than 5 years ago, this season is a symbol of what a closely intertwined team can accomplish: "Here, it's not like you approach a teammate and go, 'High-five. You just scored a touchdown, and I, um…really don't know a thing about you,' " team caption Mike Hantge says. "This team is very close-knit. And we all realize when you play for Gallaudet, you're playing for the deaf community across the country."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVhMzxdhyDg