LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — In a room full of people hanging on his every word, Chad Muma appeared at ease.
He has played on the biggest football stage. And he was just as comfortable on a stage at a Walt Disney World Resort.
Muma was a featured panelist at Sanofi's Friends for Life conference which shined a spotlight on Type 1 diabetes and the importance of early screening. In a fireside chat led by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Muma and others discussed how the disease has impacted their lives.
Muma was only 13 years old when he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Early on, he learned that the minor bump in the road didn’t have to deter him from dreaming big.
“I’m not going to let that hold me back from achieving the goals I set forth for myself,” he said. “You know, one of those goals was to make it to the NFL.”
Muma reached that goal when the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Watching him on the football field, you would never know he suffers from a disease that the CDC says affects nearly 30 million people in the United States.
Looking at his stats didn’t give a clue either. His senior year at the University of Wyoming, he was second in the nation with 142 tackles. He simply found a way to play at a high level while managing his diabetes.
“When I was first diagnosed, that was my first question, can I still play sports?” he said. “Can I still be active and do that? To be in that position that I am today, it’s why I come to conference’s like these and it’s why I want to be a role model for those kids, because I don’t want them to be hindered and think that they can’t achieve their dreams and goals.”
He is an inspiration for anyone with diabetes. By living his best life, he shows others there don’t have to be limits. And he’s a great source of information. At the seminar, parents of young athletes were very intrigued by his process, his diet and how he’s able to maintain such a high level of activity.
“It’s just so encouraging to be able to hear those stories from the parents and bounce back ideas and be able to build that community that’s out here for the Type 1 diabetic,” he said.
Nothing holds Muma back. This offseason, he got married. And at the Jags training camp, he moved up the depth chart and is now a starter. He doesn’t want to be defined by his diabetes. But he understands his role in advocating for anyone who is suffering.
“It’s weird to say that you appreciate Type 1 diabetes, but I truly believe it made me into the person I am today,” Chad said. “I’m going to use it as a positive and say I can do all of these things because of my Type 1 diabetes.”