Blake Ferguson on Playing Professionally with Type 1 Diabetes

The road to becoming a professional football player is not an easy one, with less than two percent making it from college – and a handful from that playing with Type 1 Diabetes.

We have a special edition of today’s podcast from the sidelines of the Baptist Health Training Complex, where we sit down with Blake Ferguson from the @MiamiDolphins, who lives with the lifelong condition, inspiring his fans on the field, and working off the field raising funds and awareness for the cause.

Blake joins our own expert, endocrinologist Dr. Angel Alejandro to talk more about T1D, what everyone needs to know about the condition, how he trains and stays game-ready, and why he believes it shouldn’t stop anyone from achieving their dreams in not only sports but anything they want to do in life.

Host:
Mike Cugno
Sports Anchor

Expert:
Angel Alejandro, M.D.
Endocrinologist
Baptist Health

Guest:
Blake Ferguson
Long Snapper
Miami Dolphins

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:29 - What is the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?
2:30 - Blake's T1D journey and finding out he has diabetes
6:35 - Signs and symptoms to get checked for diabetes
8:29 - How Blake manages his diabetes during and off-season
11:20 - How to balance your diet with diabetes
13:15 - Blake's favorite snacks and food
14:50 - How what you eat plays a role in type 1 diabetes
15:41 - When Blake decided to become a professional athlete despite having diabetes
18:50 - The biggest challenges patients have with diabetes
21:00 - Advice for young athletes with diabetes wanting to pursue professional sports
21:42 - The importance of having a good support system

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