A Duracell commercial featuring Seattle Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman has been making the rounds on the internet the past few days and already has over 2.5 million views for great reason.
The commercial is about Coleman’s perseverance as a football player despite being deaf. He is believed to be the first legally deaf offensive football player in NFL history and, in just 60 seconds, the commercial shows Coleman describing what he overcame to make it in the league.
Coleman went to UCLA and was the power back complement to Johnathan Franklin in college. He scored 19 touchdowns for the Bruins, including 11 in his senior season. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry in college, though he’s only carried the ball twice in his NFL career. He did score his first touchdown on a catch in a Week 13 win over the New Orleans Saints.
Coleman went undrafted out of college, but he continued to pursue his dreams of playing in the NFL and was added by the Seahawks to their roster this season — two years after he last played in a collegiate game.
In an interview with Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer about the commercial, Coleman said Duracell liked his story and approached him about it.
“They came to me, and said they liked my story, and I said ‘OK’, I want to join up. I just hope to inspire people, especially children, to trust the power within and achieve their dreams.
Coleman also told Iyer (and said in the commercial) that he can hear the noise the famous “12th Man” in Seattle makes during games and that he can definitely feel it. He also said that his parents made sure he never used his hearing aid as an excuse for anything and forced him to work extra hard.
As a Bruin alum, I’m obviously a big Coleman fan, but what’s really cool is how Duracell chose to publicize his great story. They’re rightfully receiving plenty of brand recognition for the commercial.
(Thanks to Andy B. for the tip)
