Ravens Star Helps Save Woman on Flight

Getty Images Mark Andrews proved to be more than just a tight end this offseason.

One of the stars of the Baltimore Ravens‘ 2023 season played hero on a recent flight. Tight end Mark Andrews offered up his diabetic testing kit to a woman who was having trouble breathing during a mid-flight emergency, according to a string of social media posts from Andrew Springs.

When a doctor and a nurse on the flight couldn’t find a strong pulse, Andrews, a Type 1 diabetic himself, told them that the woman’s blood sugar could be the cause and that they should use his diabetic testing kit.

Paramedics met the flight on the ground to attend the woman, per Springs, while Andrews deplaned.

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 Nov. 16. He missed the next seven games after undergoing surgery, but healed in time to play in the conference title game.

Andrews’ Diabetic Journey

Andrews was diagnosed with Type I diabetes when he was nine years old. He played through the disease throughout his early football career before he enjoyed a productive stint with the Oklahoma Sooners. The Ravens were undeterred by Andrews’ ailment as well and 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. “… 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, 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.