During the 2023 NFL season, the Kanas City Chief’s tight end room gained quite a lot of attention after all-pro tight end Travis Kelsy started dating international superstar, Taylor Swift. To the thrill and dismay of NFL fans, the new power couple dominated the headlines and TV screens after a Kelsy touchdown. With all that media attention, the play of backup tight end Noah Gray flew under the radar. This season, he logged 28 catches for 308 yards and two touchdowns. The season culminated in two catches in the Super Bowl for 22 yards in the Chiefs’  25-22 win over the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII. Six years ago, Gray did not even know if he could play football, much less be a two-time NFL champion.

Who is Noah Gray?

Noah Gray grew up in Gardener, Massachusetts, where he played wide receiver and quarterback at Leominster High School. Gray became an All-State wide receiver and received numerous Division One offers, ultimately committing to Duke University.

It was At Duke that his football career would be called into question. In 2018, in his freshmen season, he began losing weight and having trouble seeing. He went to the doctor, who then rushed him to the emergency room, where he spent the next four days and was diagnosed with Type one Diabetes.

After being diagnosed, he went to work cleaning up his diet and learning how to manage the condition.

“I realized I feel so much better when I’m eating cleaner foods. So, I think it helped me mature in my eating habits. What I’m putting in my body as an athlete, I think that helped me out a lot,” he told NFL.com.

Gray found ways to manage his condition while still playing football. He only missed one game his entire career as a Blue Devil. He would finish his career as the school’s all-time leader in receptions for a tight end and be drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft.

A Team Effort 

Throughout his NFL career, Gray has been an advocate for Diabetes awareness. He is one of the spokespeople for the American Diabetes Association summer camp that gives kids living with Diabetes tools and strategies to live happy and healthy lives. He has worked to give back to other athletes with the same condition, inviting them to games and building relationships with them.

“I think God’s purpose … He really blessed me with the disease because He wants me to help others,” Gray said. “Trying to give as much as I can to other people has been something after I was diagnosed, that was super-important to me.” 

Gray hasn’t been alone in his fight to improve the lives of others with Diabetes. This year’s Super Bowl half-time performer, Usher, who has a six year old with diabetes, used his platform to raise awareness for the condition. 

In his media appearances before the game, Usher gave hope to fellow parents.

“Understand that your child can flourish and live an amazing life, but not without consideration of his or her blood glucose levels,” said Usher. “[There] is a balance; [you’re] trying to find that balance and find this consistent normalcy in a very abnormal place.” 

Noah Gray is a perfect example of someone who has lived an amazing life with Type 1 Diabetes. He has shown that with the right strategies and knowledge, you can thrive as a person and as an athlete and even become a two-time Super Bowl champion.

For more information on Diabetes or the ADA summer camps, click here.