The Baltimore Ravens, led by the one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the league Lamar Jackson, are doing incredibly well in the 2023 season. Except for the two losses, the team has showcased all the potential to become a Super Bowl contender this season and is proudly sitting atop the AFC North.
With a 7-2 mark, the Ravens show no sign of stopping on the midway as they head towards more high-voltage games in the upcoming games. One of the greatest weapons on the offensive side of Jackson’s team has been his tight end Mark Andrews, who sits in the elite room with Travis Kelce and George Kittle. However, the footballer has a physical setback that many NFL fans might not be aware of.
What medical condition does Mark Andrews suffer from?
Andrews has Type-1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease in which the pancreas stops the production of insulin. He was only 9 years old when he was diagnosed with the disease. According to UMass Chan Medical School, the veteran shares his blood sugar levels with his family members as well as his agent and the Ravens’ head trainer.
The 6-foot-5, 256-pound TE has to prick his fingers to check his blood sugar almost 30 times during a match. Besides that, he has to have an insulin pump and wear a continuous glucose monitor in his personal life. The team provides separate bottles to mark during games and practices with Gatorade Zero to let his body not get affected by his blood sugar levels.
“Every time I come off the field. When my blood sugar is a little higher I gotta give insulin to bring it down. When it’s lower I take some sugar.. like some Gatorade or something like that”, he said.
Despite living with such a disease, the Ravens star never got dimmed and has always encouraged young people living with type 1 diabetes to pursue their dreams. As for his performance in the O-line of the team, the football prodigy started the 2023 season with a quad injury during practice, but he did his part in the following games by recording 477 yards along with 6 touchdowns.
Mark Andrew’s NFL achievements
After getting selected by the Ravens as the No. 86 overall pick in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Mark Andrews has moonlighted as a hero in the team’s O-line and earned multiple titles and accolades including First-team All-Pro (2021), Pro Bowl (2019, 2021, 2022). He was named the franchise’s Most Valuable Player in 2021, an award voted on by local media.
The veteran has played 6 seasons for the Baltimore-based team and has recorded 368 catches for 4,710 yards along with 40 touchdowns. He holds a number of the Ravens’ franchise records including most single-season receiving yards (1,361) in 2021, most receptions in a single season (107) in 2021, most touchdown receptions by a TE (10) in 2019, most receiving yards by a TE in the rookie season (552) in 2018 as well as the longest regular-season reception by a TE (74 yds) in 2018.
What’s your take on Mark Andrewss phenomenal NFL achievements? Share with us in the comments.
