In the garage that serves as the Indiana Deaf football locker room, coaches take turns talking to the team's 21 members. There are no words at halftime of the homecoming game, no sounds other than an occasional shout or a bang on a locker. All the noise comes from the adjoining locker room, where the Model Deaf team from Washington D.C. is reveling in its defensive performance in the first half of a 0-0 tie.
Each Indiana Deaf coach takes turns addressing the team. The athletic director and defensive coordinator, 31-year-old Peter Leccese, signs quickly and demonstratively.