Alex Ocasio is not your average 14-year-old boy.

For one, his passion for football and Catasauqua defines nearly every aspect of his life. That passion shows in his stride and intense glare.

What makes Alex even more unique and talented is his ability to play football despite his hearing loss. The Catasauqua youth was born deaf.

At 9 years of age, Alex began playing football at his father's advice. He currently plays football for the Catasauqua Middle School team as a nose guard, under coach Billy Milne.

Alex's reason for initially playing football was simple.

"I wanted to play because I love playing football," he says.

Five years later, his skill on the football field has improved dramatically. Those skills have been honed even more by Milne, for whom Alex has taken a special liking.

"I learned a lot from Coach Milne," Alex says. "He's a really good coach. He taught me a lot about signals and defensive techniques."

Milne says Alex uses his lack of hearing as an advantage, keeping an alert eye out for signals and the movement of his team and the opposing team.

He spoke to The Press with the assistance of sign language interpreter Sue Arndt of Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21, who attends practices and games with Alex.

It's not only the game of football itself Alex loves, but his teammates and the Catasauqua community as a whole.

"I like my teammates," Alex says. "I love it here in Catasauqua. Before, I was never accepted, and alone and the only deaf person, but now I have a lot more friends. I have everything here."

According to Milne, his teammates invited Alex into their circle and fully embraced him.

"They all accepted him and brought him in," Milne says. "I told them, you're playing for yourself, for your team, for your family and for your community."

Arndt says she has seen Alex grow by leaps and bounds the past year due to his participation in the middle school football program.

"I've seen him become a confidant young man at the end of the season," she said.

Alex has not allowed his disability to define who he is and who he wants to become. He wants others who may be living with a disability to know they have the ability to succeed and reach for the stars, regardless of what life may toss their way.

"It doesn't matter if you're deaf or you can hear," he says. "You can do anything you want. Don't be afraid, be brave."

Although the football season is over, Alex has high hopes of playing football for the Catasauqua High School Rough Rider football team in two years. Over the winter months, he said he plans to weight train and may wrestle or play basketball or baseball.

And what goal has Alex set for himself in the near future?

'My goal is to be on a championship team," he said.

With a player like Alex, that may not be such a far-fetched goal for next year's middle school football program.