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15 Famous Athletes Who Have Played Through Diabetes

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15 Famous Athletes Who Have Played Through Diabetes

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Athletes face challenges with their bodies everyday. Those challenges become even harder for athletes who play with diabetes. Here are 15 athletes, both past and present, who have played through the disease and succeeded.

15. Kendall Simmons

Cardinals v Steelers
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15. Kendall Simmons

Cardinals v Steelers
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One of the more recent players to be diagnosed, Simmons played for the Steelers from 2002-2008. Battling in the trenches obviously had to be made harder by the fact he had to keep a constant watch on his blood sugar.

14. Dustin McGowan

Oakland Athletics v Toronto Blue Jays
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14. Dustin McGowan

Oakland Athletics v Toronto Blue Jays
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The Blue Jays pitcher has battled more than just opposing batters throughout his career. In the heart of summer, it's a constant struggle to keep up with his disease while trying to stay hydrated and focused on the game at hand.

13. Scott Verplank

The McGladrey Classic - Round Two
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13. Scott Verplank

The McGladrey Classic - Round Two
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Verplank is one of the better players on the PGA Tour and he is also diabetic. While golf provides more down time to regulate blood sugar levels, it also requires the most time outside, so Verplank still faces plenty of challenges.

12. Kyle Love

Divisional Playoffs - Denver Broncos v New England Patriots
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12. Kyle Love

Divisional Playoffs - Denver Broncos v New England Patriots
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Love is the most recent professional player to receive a diagnosis when he did a couple years ago, but he didn't let that discourage him. He tried to use it as fuel to keep on going in his career and didn't let it hurt him.

11. Gary Hall Jr.

Mens 50m Free Heats
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11. Gary Hall Jr.

Mens 50m Free Heats
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Hall, who was a great Olympic swimmer, did so with diabetes. Incredibly, he was able to train in a world-class manner while managing his diet and fluid intake. Of all the sports, swimming training may be the hardest to do with diabetes.

10. Sam Fuld

Wild Card Game - Oakland Athletics v Kansas City Royals
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10. Sam Fuld

Wild Card Game - Oakland Athletics v Kansas City Royals
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The high-flying outfielder has diabetes, but you'd never know it based on his energy on the field. Normally, if players let their blood sugar go low, they will be sleepy and sluggish, but Fuld has never seemed anything like that on the field.

9. Brandon Morrow

Toronto Blue Jays v Cleveland Indians
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9. Brandon Morrow

Toronto Blue Jays v Cleveland Indians
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Morrow is one of the more underrated pitchers in baseball. He's getting up there in age, but he's still a solid contributor and he's done so while facing a stiffer challenge than most professional athletes do.

8. Adam Morrison

Los Angeles Lakers v Sacramento Kings
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8. Adam Morrison

Los Angeles Lakers v Sacramento Kings
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Everyone remembers Morrison for being a superstar at Gonzaga and a bust in the NBA, but he was playing through diabetes. While he certainly didn't pan out in the pros, he made it much further in athletics than most with the disease.

7. Bobby Clarke

2013 NHL Draft
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7. Bobby Clarke

2013 NHL Draft
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The famous ex-Philadelphia Flyer played through diabetes, which many people may not know. He's continued to live with the disease after retirement and has been just as successful after his playing career as during it.

6. Joe Frazier

Sony Pictures Classics Presents
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6. Joe Frazier

Sony Pictures Classics Presents
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While he was knocked down by Muhammed Ali in their famous boxing fight, Frazier wasn't knocked down by diabetes. The famous boxer went on to have one of the best careers in the history of his sport despite his diagnosis.

5. Jay Cutler

Green Bay Packers v Chicago Bears
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5. Jay Cutler

Green Bay Packers v Chicago Bears
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Cutler is the most notable active athlete with diabetes. The Bears' quarterback is a very polarizing figure, but he's very active in the community raising awareness for the disease. Like so many others, his efforts have helped research and care for diabetes.

4. Catfish Hunter

MLB Photos Archive
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4. Catfish Hunter

MLB Photos Archive
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Known as a Hall of Fame player and the first in major league history to sign as a free agent, Hunter also has the distinction as one of the best diabetic athletes ever. The famous Oakland Athletic isn't remembered for being diabetic, but that may be the biggest challenge he faced.

3. Ty Cobb

ALCS Game 4: Oakland A's v Detroit Tigers
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3. Ty Cobb

ALCS Game 4: Oakland A's v Detroit Tigers
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Cobb was one of the biggest jerks in the history of the MLB, quite frankly, but he was one of the best of all time despite being diabetic. The Tigers' star is in the record books in multiple categories and he did all of that despite his disease.

2. Ron Santo

MLB Photos Archive
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2. Ron Santo

MLB Photos Archive
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The lovable former Chicago Cub was one player that was known for having diabetes. In fact, the disease eventually led to him losing his legs and having to get prosthetics. He struggled with the disease his entire life, but it didn't keep him from becoming a Hall of Famer or one of the most beloved players in Cubs' history.

1. Jackie Robinson

New York Yankees Unveil Plaque of Nelson Mandela in Monument Park
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1. Jackie Robinson

New York Yankees Unveil Plaque of Nelson Mandela in Monument Park
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This may come as a shock to most people, but the man who broke baseball's color barrier also had diabetes. There's no doubt the disease was the least of his concerns as he made history and opened the door for African-American players to join Major League Baseball for generations to come.

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