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One of the stars of the 2023 Baltimore Ravens played hero on a recent flight.
Tight end Mark Andrews, who has Type 1 diabetes, offered his diabetes testing kit to a doctor and nurse assisting a woman who was having trouble breathing during a February 1 Southwest Airlines flight from Baltimore to Phoenix.
A fellow passenger documented the medical emergency in a string of posts on X, formerly Twitter.
When the doctor and nurse couldn’t find a strong pulse on the ailing passenger, Andrews suggested that the woman’s blood sugar could be the cause and they should use his diabetes testing kit.
According to the passenger who shared the emergency on social media, Andrew Springs, paramedics attended to the woman after the flight arrived in Phoenix.
Andrews and the Ravens released a statement soon after Springs’ posts went viral to confirm the story and also praise the doctor, nurse and flight attendants who helped the woman in need.
“In addition to the fast-acting flight attendants, the real heroes are the nurse and doctor who also happened to be on the plan.” Andrews wrote in the statement. “Thankfully they were able to provide the woman the quick assistance she needed.”
Just a few days earlier, Andrews and the Ravens were playing in the AFC championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Baltimore lost the game, 17-7, and Andrews caught just two passes for 15 yards.
It was Andrews’ first game since he injured his ankle on November 16. He missed the next seven games after undergoing surgery but recovered in time to play in the conference title game.
Mark Andrews’ Diabetic Journey
Andrews, 28, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 9 years old and played through the disease in high school in Scottsdale, Arizona, and at the University of Oklahoma. The Ravens drafted him No. 86 overall in 2018.
The veteran tight end has been outspoken about diabetes for awhile. He told GQ during a 2022 interview that it took him a few years after his diagnosis to understand how to manage his blood sugar and be confident in his ability to continue to perform.
“I remember that I got diagnosed when I was going to a soccer tournament and my parents were just deathly afraid for me. I was nine years old, and I was kind of ignorant of what was going on,” Andrews said, according to the magazine. “Being a type 1 diabetic is obviously incredibly hard. I was very fortunate to have a great family as a support group.”
Andrews still checks his blood sugar on the sidelines during games and has insulin and sugary snacks to help regulate his blood sugar if it gets too high or too low after a play.
Through it all, Andrews has become one of the best tight ends in the NFL.
Even in his injury-riddled year, Andrews finished the 2023 season with 45 receptions for 544 yards and 6 touchdowns. Through six seasons, he’s caught 381 passes for 4,857 yards and 40 touchdowns – which ranks fifth, third and second among all tight ends since 2018.
Ravens & Mark Andrews Look Toward 2024
Much was expected from the Ravens this year after they cruised to the top of the AFC behind quarterback Lamar Jackson and the No. 1 defense in the NFL. But despite a big win in the AFC divisional round, Baltimore couldn’t get past the defending Super Bowl champions in the conference title game.
Jackson and Andrews will undoubtedly remain integral parts of the Ravens’ success in 2024, but there are questions throughout the offense and defense that will need to be solved this offseason.
The Ravens already picked their next defensive coordinator after after Mike Macdonald left to become the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. The team promoted inside linebackers coach Zach Orr to defensive coordinator. The next step is deciding if Orr will run a variation of Macdonald’s successful scheme or decide his own.
The offense needs some work as well, as Andrews and rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers appeared to be the only consistent skill position players on the team.
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