Being told he had Type 1 diabetes when he was 17 blindsided Brandon Denson.

But except for one of those take-a-deep-breath moments, Denson hasn't stepped back. He's pushed forward — making the Michigan State football team as a walk-on, then proving he was good enough to play in the CFL, in 2011 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and now with the Ottawa RedBlacks. He's an inspiration, the kind of guy you root for. He's not bothered or distracted that he has to wear an insulin pump nearly 24/7, except when he's in the shower, in a swimming pool or on an intense run.

Just as important as what the 5-foot-11, 230-lb. defensive end is doing on the field is the message he's delivering off the field. He's a role model for the cross-section of diabetics who focus on what they can't do rather than what they can do.

Denson will speak at the 2014 Diabetes Research Infosium March 26 at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum. For tickets, email ncr@jdrf.ca.

“I put my pads on the same way as other players,” says Denson, 26. “I'm no different. The sky's the limit, but I just have different steps in my everyday life. The pump gives me more flexibility. It's like one with me. It's a bit smaller than a cellphone, clipped to my hip like a pager. I forget it's even there.”

Spreading his message gives him more of a purpose. Maybe it was destiny.

“I believe in a higher power,” says Denson. “I believe everything happens for a reason. It is up to me to help spread the word that you can do anything you feel you want to do. I can relate. I'm on a stage where I can help people out. For me to be able to play sports, if they see me as a professional football player, they realize they can do anything. They can believe. They can be a doctor, a lawyer or a police officer.”

When Denson was diagnosed with diabetes as a high school senior, his mother was devastated.

“When I left to the doctor's office, I had to go immediately to the hospital,” says Denson. “They gave me an insulin shot and everything was happening so fast, I didn't know what was going on. My mother was bawling. She was blaming herself. I tried to calm her down. I told her everything was going to be OK.”

And, yes, everything was more than OK. It wasn't the fault of his mom — or anybody else. And he blazed a path for himself.

“I don't think it came down to proving anything,” says Denson. “When I first went to Michigan State, a lot of the guys were high school All-Americans, college All-Americans. After the first day of practice, I erased everything out of my mind. I knew I could compete.”

Along the way, Denson has found inspiration in others.

He met a youngster who gave him SpongeBob SquarePants stickers as a gift. Denson stuck them to his insulin pump, which he has since had to replace.

Then there was Nate Bobb, who wrote Denson two letters.

“I still carry one of the letters with me,” says Denson. “He was 13 and I was a freshman at Michigan State. I never really spoke to anybody about my diabetes until that letter. I felt this was a thing that was bigger than me. (Diabetics) feel outcast, they feel that they don't fit in, that they don't matter. We're diabetics. We eat like they eat and we play like they play.”

There are limits, but compensating for things like sweets is part of the regular routine.

“I'm the worst,” says Denson. “If it's sweet I like it — candies, cupcakes, donuts ... If I eat a Cinnabon, it's probably 120 grams of carbs. Everybody's ratio is different, but I have to take one unit for every 10 grams of carbs.”

He's anxious to get a fresh start with the RedBlacks.

Says Denson: “How could I not be excited about coming to Ottawa? We're ready to show the world what we can do. We might just have to bring the Grey Cup back to Ottawa.

“I'm able to play a sport I love and have tremendous passion for. Maybe I took a detour to get to where I am, but I'm living out a dream.”

WHAT IS TYPE 1 DIABETES?

It's a disease in which the pancreas does not produce any insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body to control the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood. Without insulin, glucose builds up in your blood instead of being used for energy.Your body produces glucose and also gets glucose from foods like bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, milk and fruit. The cause of type 1 diabetes remains unknown. It is not caused by eating too much sugar, and is not preventable. The current thought is that type 1 diabetes occurs when the body’s immune system destroys the cells that make insulin.

Twitter: @timcbaines