By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Publisher Perhaps the best part about experiencing a live NFL game is hearing a crowd of 70,000 roar as the opening kickoff is boomed to the opposite end zone. Lisa Fishbein has never heard that sound, despite being on NFL sidelines for three years in her early 20s. Fishbein, now 33 and living in Walnut Creek, Calif., about 30 miles from San Francisco, grew up as the youngest of the four children of Kathleen and Rob Fishbein Sr. Both Kathleen and Rob Sr. are deaf, as are Lisa and her sister Rosemary, 40. Brothers Rob Jr., 38, and Joe, 36, are the only ones in the family who aren’t deaf. The Fishbein name might be familiar to Cape-Atlantic League sports fans. Rob and Joe both were standout football and basketball players at Holy Spirit High School. Rob, who graduated in 1994, was the starting quarterback for the Spartans, and Joe, a 1996 graduate, was a second-team all-state wide receiver. Rob currently is the supervisor for the City of Margate, and Joe is a 3D graphic artist who designs houses for architects, heading up Fishbein Design. But Lisa had a different journey during her teen years. The Margate native attended the Model Secondary School for the Deaf in Washington, D.C., which is affiliated with Gallaudet University. It was there that the shy girl from the Jersey Shore joined the cheerleading team for both the football and basketball teams at the school. Several years later, in 2002, she made history by becoming the first deaf cheerleader in the NFL when she made the squad for the Miami Dolphins at age 20. Fishbein, who grew up in Margate and whose brothers, Rob and Joe, attended Holy Spirit, spent her high school days at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf in Washington, D.C. Fishbein, who grew up in Margate and whose brothers, Rob and Joe, attended Holy Spirit, spent her high school days at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf in Washington, D.C. “I learned sign language when I was a baby. I never really had a hard time communicating with my friends and family,” Lisa said. “My parents are deaf and my sister is deaf. My brothers can hear, but they sign fluently. I went to mainstream school when I was growing up and had a sign language interpreter. “The high school I went to is for deaf students. I could easily communicate with anybody, including the (cheer) coach. My coach wasn’t only a great coach but a good mentor. She helped me grow in self confidence. I don’t think I would have developed that confidence if I went to a hearing high school.” Lisa said her life is much more low key than Rob’s. He’s up at 5 a.m. every day, has two young children, and also helps train area high school football players throughout the year. “I don’t have that kind of energy. I can’t keep up with him,” Lisa said. “I work, hang out with friends and love outdoor activities, like hiking, in my free time. I help my clients gain independence and move forward in life. I assist them in many things, such as cooking, hygiene and money skills.” As for her future plans? “I want to travel the world and be more successful in life,” she said. The people of Margate would probably consider her quite successful already. She’s a role model for young deaf people and a former NFL cheerleader, and pictures of her can be seen at various local establishments. “I don’t think of myself as a role model, but I do encourage young deaf kids that they can be anything they want to be if they set their mind to it,” Lisa said. “People in Margate know about her, and the deaf community definitely does,” Rob said. “There’s pictures in local restaurants, like Dino’s, so everybody knows her name. She’s a quiet kid and doesn’t brag, though. You wouldn’t even know she was an NFL cheerleader.” Lisa said that even though she now lives in California, her family continues to have a big influence on her life. “Growing up with them was really good. They are awesome and supportive,” Lisa said. “I am so lucky to have them.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays [adsense]