Ravens' All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews, a former Oklahoma Sooner, is a mountain of a man. Standing at 6-foot-5, 256 pounds, Andrews certainly sticks out among the general population as a physically imposing individual.
By looking at him, nobody's first assumption would be that he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, but that is the case.
During his freshman year at Oklahoma, Andrews had a frightening moment when he was unresponsive due to hypoglycemia, a condition caused by very low blood sugar. His roommate, former Oklahoma long snapper Wesley Horky, shoved fruit snacks into Andrews' mouth (at the direction of Mark's mother) and he regained consciousness before the paramedics arrived at the scene.
That situation didn't define Andrews though, as he'd go on to win the John Mackey Award in 2017, awarded annually to the nation's most outstanding top tight end, after recording 62 receptions for 958 yards and eight scores in his final year with the Sooners.
The Scottdale (Ari.) native would then join the Baltimore Ravens after being selected in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. All he's done since then be selected as a three-time Pro Bowler (2019, 2021, 2022) and First-Team All-Pro in 2021, putting him squarely in the conversation as one of the top players in the league.
As much as his play on the field has impacted the people in Baltimore and Norman over the years, there won't be a touchdown catch or third-down conversion that will ever surpass the impact that Andrews had on a woman whom he shared a flight with on Thursday morning.
According to Twitter user Andrew Springs, the Baltimore tight end played a vital role in potentially saving a woman's life during a mid-flight medical emergency.
“A woman on my @southwest flight from Baltimore to Phoenix this morning had a mid-flight medical emergency. The doctor and nurse attending to her couldn’t find a strong pulse, her blood pressure was extremely low, and required oxygen to breathe. It was genuinely scary,” Springs stated.
Seeing the signs and fearing that the issue was her blood sugar, Andrews reportedly sprung into action.
“A man in the aisle seat popped up, 'Could it be her blood sugar? I have a diabetic testing kit.' It was @Ravens TE Mark Andrews," Springs said. "Andrews instructed the medical professionals (equal citizen heroes in this story) on using his test kit. Eventually her heart-rate stabilized.”
After the plane landed and the woman received medical attention, Andrews "deplaned quietly" and went on about his business.
"Paramedics met the flight as soon as we landed. Andrews deplaned quietly. No fanfare," Springs said. "As he has done his whole career, he stepped up in a huge moment when people needed him most.
"Watching complete strangers spring into action to help save someone’s life is truly amazing."
Andrews has since released a public statement after the event, crediting the flight attendants, as well as a nurse and doctor, who he says were the "real heroes."
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