Why living with diabetes has meant ‘everything’ to Matthew Jordan

The journey from a diabetes diagnosis at the age of 11 to leading Georgia Tech to an upset win over then-No. 14 Virginia Tech this past Saturday spans years and miles. Tech quarterback Matthew Jordan can connect the dots at either end of the timeline with a straight line.

“Being diabetic, that’s everything to me,” Jordan said. “That’s what made me who I am today.”

Among other things, he’s Tech’s backup quarterback and possibly its future starter. He is a solid student, majoring in business administration. He’s a country boy from Alabama who loves jet skiing and mud-riding in his GMC pickup. And, he isn’t shy to note, a Type 1 diabetic.

“It made him grow up, mature quicker,” Jordan’s father Rodney said.

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