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*PLEASE READ: Note on Tennessee School for the Deaf football*

  • As many of y'all know, I just moved into the Island Home Park neighborhood in South Knoxville. Tennessee School for the Deaf is down the street, and the Vikings are the reigning national champions in deaf, 8-man football.

    One of the best players on the TSD team — a rising senior named Yafet Yoseph, an 18-year-old from Ethiopia — drowned over the summer while swimming with friends down in Florida. It's an absolutely heartbreaking story that really, really hurt everyone involved with the school. He was a fantastic kid with an inspirational story and a leader in national deaf student organizations.

    Anyway, the Vikings play South Carolina School for the Deaf tomorrow, and I'll be there to support them. They play a few more home games this season.

    They usually play on Thursdays, not Fridays, so you can support them in addition to the Vols and your local HS team.

    If y'all could stop by and help fill up the stands over there one night, I'm sure it would mean a lot.

    Also, if you can't make it, I'm shaving my beard and cutting off my hair next Tuesday, and SportClips, Tennessee Sports Radio and others are helping to match whatever people donate for me to go beardless for a bit. Every bit of the money will go to TSD athletics. I promise you no one at TSR or SportClips will take a penny.

    Yoseph, in addition to being a great kid, was one of TSD's best football and basketball players and track and field athletes. Maybe some new equipment or shirts or something will help lift their spirits. Life must go on, and they have a championship to defend.

    Attached below are three photos of Yafat Yoseph.

    This post was edited by Wes Rucker on 8/29/2012 at 6:38 PM

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    Senior Writer, govols247 Email: wrucker@247sports.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/@wesrucker247 Facebook: www.facebook.com/wesrucker247

    Wes Rucker

  • Wow. Thats awful to hear may god be with everyone around that situation. Thanks for sharing if I didnt live 9 hours from knox I would be there. Great thing you are doing for them!!

    signature image signature image signature image

    Formally known as govols011 - follow me on twitter @C_Dillard6

    bUTchSlapped

  • Great cause. Amazing what deaf people have to overcome in life.

    I will have to catch a game in Knox next time I can get there. Do they have a basketball or baseball team as well?

    Cool area too.

    SRDC Vol

  • Wes- thank you for Sharing this post- your caring for others is a special trait that I appreciate very much .

    VolsBigT

  • SRDC Vol said...

    Great cause. Amazing what deaf people have to overcome in life.

    I will have to catch a game in Knox next time I can get there. Do they have a basketball or baseball team as well?

    Cool area too.

    All of their game dates are listed on their website. They sent out a flyer with the home games listed that I was going to scan in, but this seems much easier.

    Tennessee School for the Deaf

    http://tsdeaf.org/index.html#

    tsdeaf.org

    ADunc

  • SRDC Vol said...

    Great cause. Amazing what deaf people have to overcome in life.

    I will have to catch a game in Knox next time I can get there. Do they have a basketball or baseball team as well?

    Cool area too.

    They have football, boys' hoops, girls' hoops, girls' volleyball and track and field.

    signature image

    Senior Writer, govols247 Email: wrucker@247sports.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/@wesrucker247 Facebook: www.facebook.com/wesrucker247

    Wes Rucker

  • Great cause, Wes. I remember playin' those guys back in the day, and it was always amazing to be on the field with them.

    allwillbeorange

  • Good for you Wes

    VFL2000

  • Thanks for posting this story. My older brother played QB for them 50 years ago. And John Ward's father was the principal at the school.

    Chuck Turbul

  • CheckerboardVol

  • Maybe I missed it. How does a man from Missouri get in on the donating? I will be in town next Friday and Saturday for the GA ST game if that helps.

    polirules

  • You are very good people, Wes. I would love to make it to a game one week, that would be something very unique to experience, just need to plan it out in advance. I could get a group of guys from Knoxville to join me too.

    Speaking of beards, you can lose yours for a time for such a cause, while mine is currently out of control. I get asked on a daily basis "WOW, did you lose a bet?"

    JHSVol

  • How can we make a donation?

    signature image signature image signature image

    CheckerboardVol

  • Thanks, Wes. Good pub for a great cause. Those kids deserve it.

    signature image

    Email: chad@247sports.com | Twitter: @ChadCarson247

    ChadC

  • Wes- This is so so good to see. My sister in law's mother, Lynn Andrick, is the principal there (Elementary school) and she will be thrilled to know of the awareness and support you are bringing to this wonderful program. Seeing support from other 247 members as well is just awesome. Lynn is a huge Vols fan. Thank you

    memphischic

  • It is really neat watching them play. I grew up in the Island Home neighborhood and my best friend's mother was a teacher there, so we would watch them play pretty regularly. They would use the vibration off of the drums for their snaps. Anyway that is an awesome thing you doing Wes!

    tbirdvol ●

  • For us out of towners is there a donation site or a way we can get you money?

    The journey to becoming an Ironman http://ironmaninthesnow.wordpress.com/

    Snowvols

  • Wes Rucker said...

    As many of y'all know, I just moved into the Island Home Park neighborhood in South Knoxville. Tennessee School for the Deaf is down the street, and the Vikings are the reigning national champions in deaf, 8-man football.

    One of the best players on the TSD team — a rising senior named Yafet Yoseph, an 18-year-old from Ethiopia — drowned over the summer while swimming with friends down in Florida. It's an absolutely heartbreaking story that really, really hurt everyone involved with the school. He was a fantastic kid with an inspirational story and a leader in national deaf student organizations.

    Anyway, the Vikings play South Carolina School for the Deaf tomorrow, and I'll be there to support them. They play a few more home games this season.

    They usually play on Thursdays, not Fridays, so you can support them in addition to the Vols and your local HS team.

    If y'all could stop by and help fill up the stands over there one night, I'm sure it would mean a lot.

    Also, if you can't make it, I'm shaving my beard and cutting off my hair next Tuesday, and SportClips, Tennessee Sports Radio and others are helping to match whatever people donate for me to go beardless for a bit. Every bit of the money will go to TSD athletics. I promise you no one at TSR or SportClips will take a penny.

    Yoseph, in addition to being a great kid, was one of TSD's best football and basketball players and track and field athletes. Maybe some new equipment or shirts or something will help lift their spirits. Life must go on, and they have a championship to defend.

    Attached below are three photos of Yafat Yoseph.

    How can we donate? I will also try solicit all who will be at 'The Gathering' in Atlanta to give. I would say bless you Wes but that's already taken care of. Thanks and +1(wish it was more)

    tnbear66 ●

  • Sorry for the downote. Someone pick me up. I didn't confirm it, however it still downvoted you.

    tsams45

  • Sorry for the downote. Someone pick me up. I didn't confirm it, however it still downvoted you.

    tsams45

  • Horrible news. When I was in HS at the Tennessee School for the Blind in Nashville, we did kind of an exchange student program one year with TSD. I got to meet two of the students from there and they were two of the nicest guys I've ever met. We had a few problems at first figuring out how we would communicate, but once we got past that we found that we could get along quite well. This was back in the early 90s. A buddy and I, who were both huge Vol fans, got to talking to them about UT, and found that they were also big TN fans. It is funny how sports really can cross even the biggest barriers. Awesome thing that you are doing for these folks Wes. If I wasn't in Central FL, I would help in a minute. Go Vikings!

    RustyVols77

    Rusty H

  • We are setting up the avenues to donate. I will link them ASAP.

    Thanks a ton to everyone for helping.

    I appreciate those thanking me for doing this, but I'm only doing something everyone with the opportunity should be doing. If we can't take care of our fellow man, what's the point of any of this?

    signature image

    Senior Writer, govols247 Email: wrucker@247sports.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/@wesrucker247 Facebook: www.facebook.com/wesrucker247

    Wes Rucker

  • JHSVol said...

    You are very good people, Wes. I would love to make it to a game one week, that would be something very unique to experience, just need to plan it out in advance. I could get a group of guys from Knoxville to join me too.

    Speaking of beards, you can lose yours for a time for such a cause, while mine is currently out of control. I get asked on a daily basis "WOW, did you lose a bet?"

    Let 'em hate.

    Men have beards. Women and children do not.

    signature image

    Senior Writer, govols247 Email: wrucker@247sports.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/@wesrucker247 Facebook: www.facebook.com/wesrucker247

    Wes Rucker

  • Being only fifteen minutes away I feel like I should try to make it to at least one of their games. Hopefully I can get away from campus early enough to make it to their game tomorrow.

    "I'm living my dream right now. I'm your football coach." -Butch Jones

    GeneralNeyland5 ●

  • UPDATE: If you want to chip in for TSD athletics, PayPal me at wesrucker@gmail.com, and I'll add that to the check we're giving them.

    The athletic director over there is very excited and very appreciative of the support. Let's give the champs the support they deserve!

    signature image

    Senior Writer, govols247 Email: wrucker@247sports.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/@wesrucker247 Facebook: www.facebook.com/wesrucker247

    Wes Rucker

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