a huddle to remember

Make it stand out

1894 Winter. Back before helmets. Back when concussions in football were just “getting your bell rung.” Gallaudet University’s team stood on a field. It was a cold patch of earth pressed flat by cleats. This game had no smack talk. No snap count barking across the field. It was unusually quiet for a football game.

At the center of the action was Paul Hubbard, Gallaudet’s quarterback, known among his

teammates as “the Eel” for his sly, fluid moves. But, as the game developed, Hubbard realized he faced a unique problem. You see, Gallaudet is a deaf university, as was their opponent. Both teams signed their plays in American Sign Language. The opposing team knew the signs and were stealing signals. So, Mr. Hubbard adapted.

He pulled his teammates in close, gathering them into the first football huddle. A shield against prying eyes. A strategic masterstroke. They won that night. They won a lot that year.

The huddle proved so effective it quickly spread. From that circle of kids to the modern day NFL Super Bowl, a ritual was passed and etched into the very DNA of American football. Gallaudet’s legacy is a testament to the power of adaptation and communication, within a game.