Deaf football players to be featured in NFL halftime show

The football players at the Maryland School for the Deaf aren't just national champions.

Come Oct. 12, they'll be TV stars.

As they pursue their sixth straight national deaf prep championship, the Orioles will be one of eight high schools nationwide featured during halftime of an NFL game during the third season of Toyota's "The Line of Scrimmage."

This year's theme: The "gutsiest" varsity football teams in America.

Selected teams represent Maryland, Alabama, Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, Texas and Wyoming. MSD was chosen for its ability to succeed at the game, despite being hearing-impaired.

"We were looking for a deaf high school, and when we looked into the Maryland School for the Deaf, we found such an extraordinarily successful team our decision was clear," said Amanda Miller, "Scrimmage" producer.

"They take on teams and win," Miller said.

In his first seven seasons as coach, Andy Bonheyo's Orioles have won 65 of 72 games.

Last year's team scored 545 points while allowing only 103 in 11 games. His players have won their first two games this season.

Two 45-second, documentary-style shorts filmed at the Frederick school will air during halftime of the NBC Sunday night games on Oct. 12 and Oct. 19.

"Everyone needs to tune in," Miller said.

A Los Angeles-based film crew has been in Frederick since Monday. Filming, which began Wednesday, wraps up tonight.

Footage will be shot of a game against Owings Mill High School that begins at 7:30 p.m.

Footage so far includes scenes in the school's cafeteria, players in the weight room and cheerleaders at practice. The crew also visited with Bonheyo's family at home.

Thursday afternoon, a group of teens gathered around a monitor to watch footage shot earlier in the day.

In a nearby room -- the door closed -- players and members of the coaching staff were being interviewed on camera.

"The school has been great about loaning us an interpreter," Miller said.

Monday and Tuesday, the crew scouted the area and developed their game plan for filming.

"The dedication, the support we found here throughout the community was inspiring," Miller said.

Because they had not filmed at a deaf school before, the crew didn't know what to expect.

"We were surprised. It was just like any other high school," she said.

In addition to airing the two episodes on TV, the Frederick segments will be shown on the web. Visit www.toyota.com/lineofscrimmage for details.

Copyright 2008 The Frederick News-Post. All rights reserved.