I received an email from Yvonne Johnson, the mother of Pop Warner quarterback Ramon Johnson. She brought him to UCLA practice last week to chat with Derrick Coleman. Both wear hearing aids, and Yvonne Johnson thought if she could get Ramon to talk to Coleman, it might inspire him to wear them while he was playing football, which he previously wouldn’t do.
It worked.
I’m told that Coleman was told Ramon wore his hearing aids during practice the day after they talked and during his game Saturday, and that Coleman smiled.
Ramon also sent a letter to Coach Nueheisel. I have that and I’m still trying to figure out how to post it so that you can see it in Ramon’s handwriting. If not, I’ll just copy it on a blog.
Here’s an excerpt from Yvonne Johnson’s email:

Ramon unfortunately did not win his game on Saturday, but yes he did wear his hearing aids at practice on Thursday and for his game. So far he seems committed to wearing them from now on. After practice Thursday evening I asked him
how it was wearing them and his response was that it bothered him a
little at first but that after awhile he forgot about them. I asked
him if he was going to wear them from now on and he said “yes mom,
Derrick told me to live life and that’s what I’m going to do”. He did make
me promise to buy him a skull cap just like Derrick’s instead of the
skull wrap that he has now. Ramon’s last regular season game is this
Saturday and then it’s off to the playoffs. Ramon did write that letter to
Coach Neuheisel that he requested so see the attached. Ramon asked
me if the Coach will remember him in 6 years when it’s time for him to
go to college and I told him that as long as he continues to get
straight A’s and keeps on playing football like he does that I’m sure Coach
will come find you.