Ahead of Washington's game against the Chicago Bears on Oct. 27, Dale McCord was enjoying his usual tailgate festivities when a few golf carts with Command Force members and Major Tuddy pulled up. "This must be for the Commanders Fan of the Year," McCord thought. He was sure his fellow superfan friend was going to be announced. It might be his most memorable and favorite occasion of being wrong.

"They called my name, and they were like, 'Dale, come here.' I was like, 'Wait, what?'" McCord said, "Then I saw the dancers signing, 'You are Fan of the Year,' which totally surprised me. It meant so much that they signed that for me. It was a surreal moment, and I was in shock."

The emotions behind receiving this honor run deep for McCord. Like many Fan of the Year representatives across the league, the Virginia native has loved his team for decades, and much of his week-to-week revolves around his passion for the Burgundy & Gold.

But he distinctly stands apart, and that surprise during Week 8 actually made history. As the first-ever deaf Fan of the Year nominee, McCord is thrilled to have a spotlight shined on what it means for him to follow, engage with and love this sport.

McCord was born in Centerville, Virginia, with his hearing. For some reason (doctors never quite determined why), he became deaf when he was 2 years old. He had hearing aids throughout childhood and then at the age of 18, got cochlear implants, which he now has on both ears.

He isn't the only one in his family with special needs; his young sister, Jocelyn, has Down syndrome. It was perhaps a mix of big brother protectiveness and his own experiences that led to a heightened awareness of how accessible (or inaccessible) the world was around him.

"In a way, it was kind of built in me, if that makes sense," McCord explained. "Since I'm always thinking about what is in the best interest for her and myself and adapt to the situation."

Deafness might have given him more to consider but it certainly didn't prevent McCord from engaging in many of the activities his peers enjoyed growing up. Among one of his favorite pastimes when he was younger was watching Washington football with his grandpa, Hayden.

"Watching it on TV was definitely my bonding time with him," McCord said. "From the age of one to seven I missed out a lot on what was being said but I relied on watching the action of it."

His grandpa, who had been a season ticket member since the early 80s, was happy to share his passion for the Burgundy & Gold with his grandson. When McCord got a little older, closed captioning became mandatory on TV, and his interest in football began to ramp up. In 2010, he went to his first Washington game. The year after he took over the family season tickets. Then, in 2017, McCord was invited join an exclusive fan group, and if he hadn't been hooked before, there was surely no doubt now.

"I took it to another level when I became a member of the Professional Football Ultimate Fan Association (PFUFA) and then that pretty much made football my life," McCord said. "Any chance I can watch football I watch football. Being a Commanders fan, it's who I am."

In addition to gaining a new group of football-obsessed friends, joining PFUFA has given McCord a unique opportunity to use his fandom for giving back. Guided by his inclusivity-focused perspective, he has worked to make one of PFUF's keynote events at the Hall of Fame's Enshrinement Week a space where the local deaf and hard of hearing community feel welcomed.

"PFUFA as a group we work with the Canton community to provide backpacks filled with school supplies and the kids get trinkets from people's respective teams," McCord said. "I have been working with the area's deaf community to bring deaf and hard of hearing kids to the event, so they are included."

Considering the central role football plays in McCord's life, it perhaps comes as little surprise that he met his future wife, Jillian, at a tailgate. It didn't take long for her to see all that would come with marrying a man like McCord, and she has wholeheartedly embraced it.

"His love for the team is all about the excitement of gameday, the thrill of watching the team in action, and the pride that comes with being a fan," Jillian said. "Through all the ups and downs, he stays loyal to the team, celebrating every win and hoping for the best with each new season. For him, being a Commanders fan is just something he loves and loves to share with others."

Part of his deep love for football and wanting others to partake in its joy has been stepping up inclusion and accessibility advocacy. McCord is vocal about the "frustrating" challenges that come with watching the NFL as a deaf person. Sign language interpreters are almost only seen during the national anthem. Closed captioning isn't used consistently.

As he has always done, McCord has found ways to adapt (like, for example, learning what all the ref hand signals mean), but wants it to be easier for other deaf and hard of hearing folks to be included. When talking about his "dream fan" experience, he lists having pre-recorded interpreters on the Jumbotron full time for games, having the option of an interpreter on screen on TV at home, more sign language on NFL apparel and sign language interpreters on stage during the NFL Draft.

"On a personal level, I see how excited he gets when he sees his community represented more in commercials and mainstream media and would love nothing more than for him to see that same representation, not only at the Commanders games, but across the entire NFL," his wife Jillian said.

McCord is deaf and a Commanders fan. How these aspects of identity show up ebb and flow in his life, but they are both so important to knowing who he is, and he couldn't be more proud to share that with the 2024 Commanders Fan of the Year title.

"It means a lot. It's an honor, I'm not just representing the team, I'm representing the deaf community," he said.