Bear Pride GOOD, SOLID PLAYER. HARD WORKER ON THE BASKETBALL COURT. These are accolades Harcum coaches lauded on 2019 graduate Sevec DeJesus, a 5’9” guard from Cary, North Carolina, first scouted by Coach Barry Uzzell. While “hard-working” and “solid player” can be attributed to many players on Harcum’s varsity roster, DeJesus is not like any other men’s basketball player before or since. Sevec DeJesus was born deaf. In spite of this impairment, he played varsity ball at the Division-I level. Players are routinely roughed up in practice games and during competitive play—it is the nature of the sport. DeJesus’ cochlear implant once got knocked off his head and skittered across the gym floor. He’s used an implant since age two. Without it, he cannot hear voices—only extremely loud sounds. It is remarkable that he excels at a game where communication is everything—on the court, in practice, in the huddle. In an instant, DeJesus must distinguish whistles and play calls from crowd cheers, public address announcements, horns, and buzzers. DeJesus is the only player to date to start on junior varsity and move up to “Sevec learned a mental approach, a positive approach, one that makes coaches want a player like Sevec on the team.” Kelly added that other varsity players learned from player brought up from JV. And that DeJesus was working harder than they were. “He brought it every single day,” he added. Teammate Dom London, a rising star this season, believes Sevec never let his deafness hold him back. “He made more eye contact than any other player because he had to see more than hear.” London said it took time to acclimate to DeJesus’ impairment because he relied on lip reading—DeJesus needed to see his teammates’ faces. “But we were all willing to learn. We all accepted him, no matter what,” London added. “One of the great things about young people today is that they are more inclusive,” Kelly said with pride. A fond memory for The Power of a Challenge varsity status. “In December of 2017, we had a rash of injuries,” Coach Drew Kelly explained. “Sevec was one of the stronger players on the JV team. He stood out, he hustled, he was attentive. Coach C.J. Scott gave him a great recommendation. After a week of practice, it was clear that Sevec was helping us. So, I rewarded him with a varsity uniform.” How did DeJesus win Coach Kelly’s confidence and his teammates’ trust? “Basketball practice is like a class,” explained Kelly. “Players get volumes and volumes of information from us. The system we run is based on communication.” DeJesus listened. He learned to process a seamless flow of instructions. 24 FALL 2019 DeJesus is his first New York trip, when he really got to know the varsity players, be part of a D-I JUCO team, and be on the court. Second semester of his freshman year, he moved into Klein Hall with the varsity players, where he made lots of friends. He still keeps in touch with them. “He brought it every single day.” Next year, he will red shirt at D-I Rider University, practicing with the team. He hopes to play the following year. “He made varsity because he deserved it,” Kelly concluded. “He never used his impairment as an excuse. I treated him like any other player.” All reasons why DeJesus is moving on from Harcum, confident in himself and his game.
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