The crash of football pads that thunders over the pierce of a referee whistle doesn’t distract sophomore Kiko Vaimauga.

Vaimauga was born deaf and his lifelong obstacle on the football field shows no signs of holding him back.

The Federal Way native began playing football just two years ago at age 13, and easily secured his spot as a starting offensive guard and defensive nose guard for Beamer since his freshman year.

Although his season started with some injuries, Vaimauga is a dominant force on the field solidly standing at 6 feet tall and 340 lbs.

“It started bad … but then as I progressed and played more, the season got better and better, and I got better and better,” Vaimauga said in an interview translated by Rochelle Matlock, one of Vaimauga’s interpreters from the Federal Way Public Schools district.

Vaimauga is in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HH) program at Todd Beamer High School. This supportive program is offered at three schools in the district: Sherwood Forest Elementary, Illahee Middle School and Todd Beamer High School.

“I can hear a little bit right now, and I do talk to my teammates if I need to,” he said.

An ear infection last year further hindered his hearing ability, Vaimauga said.

“Right now I’m trying to be the strongest person on the field and help other people on the team,” he said. “I’m good at blocking and going through people. I’m really good at busting through the line.”

A football player who is deaf or hard of hearing is a rarity among the sport. About five players in the NFL have hearing difficulties, such as former Washington Redskins running back Larry Brown.

“The coaches are usually signing the plays from the sidelines,” Vaimauga said. “Normally they sign for the quarterback, but I watch what they’re signing to the quarterback, then I know what play it is. The team I’m on right now, they’re learning some [sign language].”

While the biggest obstacle on the field is not being able to hear, Vaimauga and his team have found ways to conquer it, just as they do the competition.

“It doesn’t really change anything,” he said. “My teammates treat me normal, just like anybody else.”

Vaimauga said his passion for football came from his older cousin, Fotu Leiato. Leiato, a former linebacker for the University of Oregon, died in a car crash in June.

“He convinced me to play,” Vaimauga said. “Growing up, I went to his games all the time. He is my biggest motivation.”

Teammates describe Vaimauga as extremely “football-smart,” because of his ability to predict the other teams’ moves and read other players on the field.

“I love using my brain to play, using my mind,” he said with a smile. “And I like playing sports where I can hit people. It’s fun.”

His best attribute is his pure strength, said Beamer head coach Darren McKay said. “He’s still getting weight room-strong, not to say he isn’t already strong in the weight room, but his best quality is that he’s an extremely tough person to push back.”

The Titans have had a few deaf athletes in previous years, therefore everyone on the team is very accepting and accommodating, McKay said.

A sign language interpreter is with Vaimauga almost always. Every meeting, study table, pre-game meal, in the locker room, during a game — there’s an interpreter present.

“It takes you awhile to get used to knowing where they need to be but also that [the interpreter] is right there with you all the time,” he said. “By now, it’s just normal and that’s the way the kids treat it, too. Our kids don’t really know anything different.”

Vaimauga heavily relies on his eyes, reading lips and sign language communication, he said, but noisy environments, such as a classroom or football field, make it much more difficult for him to pick up what is being said.

McKay, along with some teammates have taken it upon themselves to learn sign language, and primarily use hand or body signals on the field to communicate plays — although not every person on the field is aware of the adaptation.

“Even with the pre-game conference with the officials, I have to remind them before every game ‘Hey, No. 67 is completely deaf, so if you’re talking to him and he’s walking away from you, he’s not giving you an attitude, he can’t hear you,’” McKay said with a laugh.

Vaimauga may work in silence, but his success makes all of the noise.