Arizona’s greatest under the Friday night lights: 1990s through 2010s
Breaking down the top Arizona high school football players of the past three full decades.
Whether it is dealing with Type 1 diabetes as an elite athlete or helping youths find their football paths, Mark Andrews is willing to help.
On Wednesday, April 30, the Baltimore Ravens tight end, along with the Cardinals‘ tight end Trey McBride, were at Mesa Westwood High, working 26 high school tight ends through drills in the 2nd annual Rockin’ Protein Tight End Academy.
They were there to help the next generation of Arizona high school tight ends, which included ALA Queen Creek’s Talan Scott, one of the top class of 2027 football recruits in the state.
Andrews was The Arizona Republic’s 2012 high school Football Player of the Year as a junior, when he set receiving records as a jumbo wide receiver at Scottsdale Desert Mountain. The 2014 Desert Mountain graduate, who was a two-time All-Arizona football player, went on to star at tight end at Oklahoma and now with the Ravens.
Andrews bought a house about two minutes away from where he grew up in Scottsdale, making this his offseason home.
“It’s an incredible event for Rockin’ Protein to be putting this together,” Andrews said. “It’s an incredible company. The people putting this on are awesome.
“Just being out here with these kids and seeing how hard that they work, there’s a lot of talent. To be here with Trey, we’re able to give them what we know. We’re two of the people at the highest level. They can learn a lot. We can give back to these kids. I’ve been in their shoes.”
Andrews played for Desert Mountain from 2010-13, where he competed at an extremely high level with Type 1 diabetes. He feels he can help others in his shoes know it’s possible to reach the highest of heights with proper management and taking care of their bodies.
“That hits home for me,” Andrews said about managing diabetes. “Seeing kids with it, I know exactly what they’re going through. Living with Type 1 diabetes is not the easiest thing in the world. It’s 24-7. Just being able to show they can do anything they want in life is important.
“They just need to continue to work hard and take care of their health. I love being part of the community, because it’s a close-knit group and there’s so many good people in it.”
The tight end position has been in the news this offseason.
After McBride became the highest-paid tight end in the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers extended George Kittle with a new contract earlier this week, making him the highest-paid NFL.
Andrews, who in 2021 signed a four-year, $56 million contract with the Ravens, is among the six highest-paid NFL tight ends.
But the Ravens also are impressed by young tight end Isaiah Likely, who is coming off a strong season and will see his rookie contract expire at the end of the 2025 season. Andrews had a career-best 11 touchdown catches and 55 catches in the 2024 season.
Andrews is focused on rebounding from last year’s disappointing end to the season. He dropped a potential game-tying two-point conversion in a 27-25 playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills.
“I’ve been incredibly focused,” Andrews said. “I think each year I’ve been able to learn and grow. My diet, my work ethic, all that good stuff, I feel in better shape than I’ve ever been in. And that’s a tribute to learning with my teammates through everything.
“I’m incredibly hungry to get back out there this year. We have a lot to prove, not only personally but as a team. I’m very hungry to get back and play this next game.”
To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @azc_obert