Roman Larsen, a third grader at Hillcrest Elementary School in Oak Harbor, had a chance to shine Sept. 6, during the Seattle Seahawks’ opening game.

Roman stood on the 15-yard line and signed the words to the National Anthem, as a chorus from McChord Air Force Base sang, during opening ceremonies.

With a grin from ear-to-ear, Roman signed each word of the National Anthem using a sign language system called Signing Exact English. Roman signed each word with great expression and pride in his country.

“He loves to perform in front of people. He had no qualms as he stepped onto the field in front of more than 50,000 people,” his mother Kim Larsen said. “I was the one who was nervous.” Kim knelt on the sideline and cued Roman so he could sign the words at the same rate as the singers.

Roman, who has a severe to profound hearing loss, recently received a cochlear implant. This new hearing device helps him to hear many things he could not hear with his hearing aids. He definitely heard the crowd’s roar of approval.