Rob Kleifield

Logan Brown knows there is a stigma.

The 6-foot-6, 311-pound Vikings offensive lineman is aware he has to tread carefully, that he must surround himself with the right support system and be disciplined, ritually, if he's to realize his goals.

"I wasn't always consistent," Brown confessed. "I had to learn throughout my college and high school career how to manage it and [be] accountable for it. As difficult as it may be at times, I've still managed to make it this far, so, hopefully, I can just keep pushing and be an example for younger athletes."

Brown hopes to join the ranks of a few other NFL players who successfully manage their type 1 diabetes while playing professional football.

Brown signed with Minnesota in May as an undrafted free agent from the University of Kansas. He's 24 and has lived half his life with a diagnosis that is reasonably scary but not impossible to play with. It's a responsibility he's carried for the entirety of his football career. It's a disability that's relatively common, and vastly misunderstood.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, approximately 5-10 percent of all people with diabetes are classified as having type 1, an autoimmune disorder in which the body fails to produce insulin (a hormone that's crucial for regulating blood sugar levels). In a 2021 census, about 1.7 million U.S. adults 20 or older had type 1 and were supplementing with insulin.

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Brown wouldn't be the first with his status to play in the NFL but doing so could help destigmatize the issue and encourage patients to pursue their passions without the darkness of any limitation.

In a survey done by global research and advocacy charity Breakthrough T1D, it was revealed that 46% of people with type 1 diabetes had experienced comments that they were lazy or inactive due to their diagnosis. Unthinkably, slightly more of the respondents were told they're unable to be physically active.

Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews is living proof that's not the truth. The franchise's career leader in receiving touchdowns by a tight end is the league's de facto poster boy for thriving despite his circumstances. He's not the only active player, either. Two-time Super Bowl champion Noah Gray of the Chiefs deals with type 1 diabetes. So does Jaguars 2022 third-round draft pick Chad Muma.

Each is an advocate for young kids, because they know the stigma and the doubts attached to it.

Brown's chronic condition demands daily resilience. Unintentionally, it makes him someone to pull for, as someone trying to earn a permanent seat at the Vikings table. Of course, that's a giant objective.

When Brown was preparing for Minnesota's rookie minicamp in early May, he spoke withVikings.comabout his Midwest ties and baseball beginnings, setbacks he encountered along the way, and his "why."

"I've always wanted to play in the NFL since I was a young boy," he shared. "My dad always talked about it, but it's different to talk about it and actually live it. So, it's just been a great experience to be able to get here. Now it's just time to, you know, stay here and potentially make a great career while I'm here."

Brown described himself as a "big one-day-at-a-time kind of guy." His main aspiration right now aligns with every other former college player presented with an NFL-sized opportunity: "To work my butt off to make the 53-man active roster, and hopefully just be a contributor to the organization," he commented.

Ironically, Brown isn't your typical UDFA.

Here's a condensed rsum: Brown didn't give up a single sack over four college seasons and 409 pass-block sets per Pro Football Focus, and in his one full go-round as a starter surrendered just six pressures overall; he was invited to the prestigious Senior Bowl, where he got a great sense, he said, of what the next level could entail; he aced the on-field portion of the NFL Scouting Combine, recording the fifth-best "athleticism score" among 2025 tackles after showing off a solid blend of speed and power, with a 5.18-second 40-yard dash, 32-inch vertical jump and 26 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press; and was projected byNFL.comdraft analyst Lance Zierlein as a third- or fourth-round selection.

So, what gives, right?

Maybe, it's the competitive sampling, which is fairly small. Brown attended Wisconsin his first four years and primarily saw the field as a reserve, starting a few games in 2022. He transferred to Kansas in 2023 and played in the first couple games off the bench before missing the rest of the season with a lower-leg injury.

"I had an interesting journey," Brown reflected. "I think what kept me going is I'd say my why.

"I learned that I do it for me, because at the end of the day, your family will love you no matter what you do," he continued with a mature conviction. "I think I just had to dig deep and realize that I show up every day because I'm the one that does it. I'm the one that truly loves the game, and at the end of the day like we as players, we're the ones that go through all the work, the grind. Granted, we have great support systems around us, but at the end of the day, [I'm] the one that has to show up and do it."

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That mindset paid off big in 2024 when Brown claimed the starting right tackle role for the Jayhawks. The performance that followed paid off two-fold, reaping a real chance to be part of the one-percenters.

"It's just great to be [back] in the Midwest," stated the Grand Rapids, Michigan, native. "I've always enjoyed the cold, so it's kind of like home away from home, and you have the lakes and everything."

That means ample opportunities to go fishing, which Brown plans to take advantage of. Similarly, he noted he's "really glad to be able to learn under a great former player and a great coach" in Vikings offensive line leader Chris Kuper, who played in 90 NFL games, starting 79 of them, for Denver from 2006-13.

There's a bundle of potential in Brown that's intriguing. One, he boldly checks the resiliency box. And two, he's in an ideal setting to learn from elite tackles remember, he's raw and round into full form.

Brown admitted his first love was for a different pace of play he wanted to be a baseball player but switched his focus to football after a high school strength coach shared some wisdom. The coach openly said, "'If you want to go to college for free, you're gonna probably have to play football,' " Brown recalled.

A first baseman at heart, Brown converted to tackle, and his prospects skyrocketed. The recruiting service 247 Sports ranked him the No. 1 prep player in Michigan and No. 7 in the country for the Class of 2019. He was touted as the 15th best player in the ESPN 300, and 47th nationally by Rivals.

Amazingly, through every hitch, he's maintained a positive trajectory.

In his assessment, Zierlein concluded, "The good can look really good. The ceiling and floor are both moving upward, and Brown has early swing tackle value with a chance to develop into an NFL starter."

Not bad, especially considering he played his first snaps as a high school freshman.

"As corny as it sounds," Brown said football's disposition hooked him.

"It's just a physical game, as we know," he remarked. "And then, honestly, the team bonding is a lot different than any other sport that I've ever been a part of, [and] I think the relationships you build in football and in the football locker room can be lifelong, so I'd say that was a big attraction for me."

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