INDIANAPOLIS -- Martel Van Zant positioned himself next to an escalator in the lobby of the Indiana Convention Center on Thursday and tried to talk his way into the NFL. But while the words were his own, the voice and ears belonged to Allie Lee.
A 22-year-old cornerback from Oklahoma State, Van Zant wasn't invited to participate in the league's scouting combine that began this week. One reason is that Van Zant is recovering from a dislocated ankle tendon he suffered in November.
Another reason might be because Van Zant is deaf.
He does all his talking through Allie Lee, his interpreter for the past four years. "If a team drafts Martel, they're also getting Allie," said Kelli Masters, Van Zant's agent.
As coaches and personnel evaluators walked through the lobby, Masters tried to entice as many as possible to spend a few minutes with Van Zant and Lee. Many were receptive, as Van Zant tried to get the message out that his ankle will be healthy soon. He has started jogging and hopes to be healthy enough to work out at Oklahoma State's pro day on March 12.
