Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia Howard is using his NIL platform for something bigger than football, and he’s leaning into the message that diabetes does not have to define what comes next.
Howard’s partnership with Dexcom is part of a broader athlete group called “Dexcom U,” which is centered on “showing what's possible with diabetes.” He stands out in that group as the only SEC football player among its 27 members.
As part of the deal, Dexcom is bringing several children with diabetes to Saturday’s home game against Ole Miss so they can watch Howard take the field in person.
“The main focus of it is just bringing more awareness,” Howard said of the NIL deal. “We don't have to sulk over having diabetes in sports.
One thing Coach Lea says a lot is, ‘The essence of life is that it is challenging.’ At the same time, in your soul, that place pain comes from is also where joy comes from.
So having this challenge with diabetes is also another reason to be excited, because now I see myself as someone who can be an advocate for people with Type 1 diabetes and let them know that you can do anything you want to do.
Howard said the impulse to turn his diagnosis into something positive came immediately.
“When I first got diagnosed with diabetes, it was the first thought in my mind to do something with it, to use it for good,” Howard continued. “So just being able to be a part of something that's going for the betterment of people, especially for kids.
I had a kid come up to me with Type 1 diabetes at one of our camps and I gave him some gloves. His mom was taking pictures, he was smiling; it made his whole day.
You don't know how long he's going to be thinking about that. He might end up thinking about this for the rest of his life, that one moment of just seeing somebody older than him who's doing well for himself, actually trying to go for it in life and not having diabetes as this negative focal point or anything that's hindering him from achieving his dream.”
Vanderbilt and Ole Miss meet Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at FirstBank Stadium. The game will air on ESPN and 102.5 The Game.
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