Browns gift Wickliffe teen with specialized football helmet: ‘Completely grateful’

10/25/2025 - Roosevelt Leftwich, Fox 8

BEREA, Ohio (WJW) – It looks just like any other football helmet, and if you look at the scratches on top, you know it can take quite licking.

For Cole Vanatta, this helmet has been one of the keys to a good season.

“You see inside here, most of the helmets would have some padding here, so we cut it out to keep it from getting pushed around and messed around,” Cole said while showing off the helmet.

What was being pushed around and messed around were hearing aids.

Cole is deaf and before he got this helmet, he had a hard time hearing on the field because his hearing aids would get knocked loose when he would mix it up.

He was ready to give it his best shot to play this season for the Wickliffe Blue Devils and hope for the best, but when the Cleveland Browns heard about this, the football team stepped in.

“At the end of the day, we want to make sure that student athletes have the opportunity to compete and participate and any time we have emails or special stories that come through, they just don’t go into an email box that isn’t read. We read them all. They come through and when we have a chance to share and tell these different stories, we want to do it,” Browns E-Football Manager Hannah Lee said.

The Browns didn’t have to go far to get it.

About 12 miles away in North Ridgeville, Riddell, who makes just about every kind of football helmet, had just the thing.

“They made us aware of Cole’s story and this is something we’ve got to do to support student athletes like Cole and other circumstances. But this one hit close to home, considering our footprint in the Cleveland area and we wanted to help improve the experience for Cole,” Riddell Vice President of Communications Erin Griffin said.

Cole made the most of that experience. He’s a team leader and plays on both offense and defense.

On Friday, he and his family were guests of the team and got a chance to tour the Browns facility

It was icing on the cake from people who reached out to help a kid do something that he loves.

It’s a gift that has made this a special season for him and his family.

“I just want to thank them everything that they’ve done to help me. It’s awesome taking a tour of this facility,” Cole said. “I’m completely grateful.”

“The helmet, it’s amazing. He loves it. It helps him and just being a mom watching your son,” Cole’s mom said tearfully, “I’m grateful, I’m blessed.”

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