NFL linebacker born without a heartbeat at 23 weeks, given 1% chance to live will play in Super Bowl

perbowl player was born without a heartbeat at just 23 weeks, was given 1% chance to live 

Life wins: Superbowl player born without a heartbeat at just 23 weeks, was given 1% chance to live

Life wins: Superbowl player was born prematurely, given 1% chance to live, walk, or talk 

(LifeSiteNews) — A young Seattle Seahawks linebacker who will be playing in tomorrow’s Super Bowl — who was born without a heartbeat at just 23 weeks and given just a one percent chance to live — is the founder of an organization that supports premature babies and their families. 

Derick Hall, NFL player and founder of the One Percent Foundation, is alive today and will be playing in the NFL’s premier event “thanks to his mother’s relentless fight for his life,” according to EWTN’s Church POP. 

“I am a praying mama; I believe in prayer, I believe that God can do anything, and so, you know, I prayed about it and we just tried to do our best to give Derick the best chance at life,” Derick’s mother, Stacy Gooden-Crandle, told WLOX.  

Derick “wasn’t just an underdog on the field — he was an underdog before he took his first breath,” the news outlet noted.

Born without a heartbeat at just 23 weeks and given only a 1% chance to survive, Derick Hall defied all odds — thanks to his mother’s relentless fight for his life.

Now, 24 years later, the Seattle Seahawks linebacker is suiting up for Super Bowl LX on Sunday!

He is the founder… pic.twitter.com/iibPrKIg7l

— ChurchPOP (@Church_POP) February 5, 2026

“Against all odds, he overcame immense challenges, including a 99% probability of not walking or talking,” his organization’s website recounts. “Today, Derick is a testament to what can be achieved with determination and the unwavering support of a caring community.”

One-in-10 babies born in the United States — nearly 400,000 — are born prematurely.  

“Every life is precious, and every challenge is a chance to create something extraordinary. This foundation is about more than just overcoming odds — it’s about building a community that supports each other and thrives together,” Derick Hall explained at the foundation’s inception.