Sports
Georgia football’s Nazir Stackhouse and his long struggle with narcolepsy entering NFL
ATHENS, Ga. — They were the most tense, most exciting moments of the Georgia football season, arguably the most exciting in the entire college football season: an epic game against Georgia Tech that stretched to eight overtimes and well past midnight. And as Nazir Stackhouse stood on the sideline, he was fighting an internal battle.
Stay awake, he kept telling himself. Somebody score and end this. Stay awake. Don’t fall asleep.
That’s what happened a few years before at Tennessee. The Georgia offense was on a long drive, and Stackhouse, a nose tackle, was on the bench with the rest of the defensive linemen.
“I’m on the bench fighting sleep, fighting it,” Stackhouse said.
Then, like it so often happens, bam. He was out.
Stackhouse was diagnosed with narcolepsy during his first year at Georgia. During his career, he started 42 games and won two national championships. Now he’s an NFL draft prospect, while still dealing with the condition on an everyday — or every minute — basis.
For one thing, Stackhouse rarely drives. He has a license but always has someone in the car with him and keeps the drives short. He never falls asleep when he’s on the field during game action, whether it be a game or practice. He did fall asleep during meetings, but coaches would work with him; Kirby Smart was known to lean over to tap Stackhouse: “Right, Nazir? Right?”
Former Georgia defensive lineman Nazir Stackhouse has been projected from the fourth to the seventh round in the 2025 NFL Draft. (Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)
“Yeah, yeah, coach,” Stackhouse would reply, jolted back awake.
“More than once,” Smart said with a chuckle. “It was real. I’ve never seen a guy on the sideline in the game go out.”
Smart mimicked going to sleep.
“But he’s a great kid,” Smart said. “Once they got it under control, it was not a big deal. … It never affected his performance.”
NFL people, who tend to project Stackhouse anywhere from the fourth to the seventh round, don’t appear to think the narcolepsy is an issue. One area scout said that it “sounds like he has a handle on it, so I wouldn’t call it a red flag or anything.”
“It’s a new one for me,” a second area scout said. “Haven’t had this pop up with a player before. The coaches say it isn’t an issue.”
Stackhouse talks about the condition freely, how suddenly it hits, and can’t help but laugh at some of those times. He once slept while on a treadmill. He felt it coming on, so he grabbed the handrails, then the next thing he knew he woke back up.
“And I’m like, ‘Damn, how long was I out?’ I look down. I was down there for like 12 minutes,” Stackhouse said.
Narcolepsy symptoms usually begin between the ages of 7 and 25 and often are misdiagnosed, according to the National Institutes of Health. The exact cause is unknown, there is no cure, and the condition will be lifelong. It is a rare condition, estimated to be found in about .002 percent of the U.S. population. But some of the symptoms can be managed with a combination of medications and lifestyle changes, according to the NIH.
That Stackhouse is an athlete helps. The NIH says daily exercise of at least 20 minutes improves nighttime sleep quality and reduces “excessive daytime sleepiness.” Eating healthy helps too, so access to Georgia’s training table during the past few years has been beneficial.
Stackhouse dealt with it long before college. Growing up in Stone Mountain, Ga., he fell asleep in class. His mother started taking him to sleep studies when he was 11. The family didn’t think it was much of a problem at first. Then, as he got older, the problem didn’t go away, but it was too expensive to get an official diagnosis or even treatment. When he got to Georgia, his mother asked the medical staff to test her son, and the narcolepsy was confirmed.
Georgia put him in touch with a pulmonary doctor in Athens, and Stackhouse took a medication, WAKIX, for about a year but stopped because it gave him headaches. Stackhouse is looking at other possible medications, but otherwise just has years of knowing how to manage it on his own. If he feels sleep coming on, he moves around, if he can, or takes precautions, like the time on the treadmill.
“It never affected me on the field,” he said. “It was if I was stationary, comfortable. That’s where it hits.”
On the field, Stackhouse seemed unaffected. He played as a reserve on Georgia’s 2020 and 2021 teams, which had a remarkable collection of defensive line talent, including nose tackle Jordan Davis and defensive tackle Jalen Carter. When Davis left after the 2021 season, Stackhouse took his starting job. He had three tackles and a hurry of C.J. Stroud in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff and a tackle for loss in the national championship game.
Off the field, Stackhouse dealt with narcolepsy, often during games. When a game was in hand, and the starters were pulled, Stackhouse would head into a tent on the sideline and fall asleep.
“It definitely didn’t affect my playing,” he said. “But say we were playing one of those, I don’t know, I would say under-talented teams. I’d play one or two quarters. After that, I’m on the sideline. We had a tent, and I would literally sit down and watch the guys play. And I’d fall asleep.”
But he did not during the epic eight-overtime win over Georgia Tech. In fact, Stackhouse fought it off so well that when he got home, he actually couldn’t get to sleep for three more hours.
“Narcolepsy is so unpredictable,” Stackhouse said. “Because people are like, ‘Are you tired, are you tired?’ No, I’m not tired, I just fell asleep. I dozed off. It’s like a curse.”
Dane Brugler contributed to this story.
(Top photo: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)
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In just his second season at the helm, Curt Cignetti led Indiana to its first national championship.
During the Hoosiers’ title run, Cignetti became known for his demanding coaching style. Indiana opened spring practice Thursday, and incoming transfer wide receiver Nick Marsh got a crash course in what it means to play for Cignetti.
Marsh, who transferred from Michigan State, arrived at practice in gold cleats. After noting Marsh’s productive two-year stint in East Lansing, Cignetti pivoted to the wideout’s footwear.
Nick Marsh (6) of the Michigan State Spartans runs the ball up the field during the first quarter of a game against the Maryland Terrapins at Ford Field Nov. 29, 2025, in Detroit. (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
“I didn’t love those gold shoes he came out in today,” Cignetti said. “He learned what getting your a– ripped is all about. I don’t know if that happened to him very often at Michigan State. That was before practice started.”
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Marsh totaled 1,311 receiving yards and nine touchdowns at Michigan State. TCU quarterback Josh Hoover also headlines Indiana’s transfer additions.
An Indiana Hoosiers helmet during a game against the Ball State Cardinals at Lucas Oil Stadium Aug. 31, 2019, in Indianapolis. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Cignetti added that the coaching staff has “more work to do with this group than the first two teams,” noting the group is still learning more about players the team will likely rely on next season.
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti during the second quarter against the Miami Hurricanes in the 2026 College Football Playoff national championship at Hard Rock Stadium Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Indiana went 16-0 en route to a thrilling win over Miami in the College Football Playoff national championship in January.
Cignetti framed his callout of Marsh’s cleats as an early message about expectations.
“That was a wake-up call,” Cignetti said of the receiver’s pre-practice cleats. “But he’s really worked hard, done a great job for us.”
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Redondo Union didn’t care that Mira Costa’s volleyball team was ranked No. 1 in California. This was their South Bay rival coming to their gym Thursday night, and anything can happen when a team digs deep and doesn’t fear losing.
The Sea Hawks (14-2) were aggressive from the outset and came away with a 27-25, 21-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-13 victory.
“Chemistry,” setter Tommy Spalding said about the Sea Hawks’ triumph. He’s one of three players headed to MIT, and all three had big matches.
At one point on back-to-back plays, Carter Mirabal had a block and Vaughan Flaherty followed with a kill off an assist from Spalding. Chemistry.
JR Boice, a Long Beach State commit, was delivering kills, and Cash Essert’s serving and all-around play kept Mira Costa’s Mateo Fuerbringer looking frustrated. The Sea Hawks’ focus was on Fuerbringer, who came alive in the fifth set with six kills, but Redondo was able to come back from an 11-9 deficit.
It was only Mira Costa’s second loss in 25 matches. Redondo Union took over first place in the Bay League.
Baseball
Orange Lutheran 3, Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian 2: The Lancers advanced to the semifinals of the National High School Invitational in Cary, N.C., behind a walk-off single in the eighth inning by Andrew Felizzari. Brady Murrietta had tied the score with a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the seventh. CJ Weinstein had two doubles for the Lancers.
Venice (Fla.) 12, Harvard-Westlake 0: The Wolverines were limited to three hits at the National High School Invitational in Cary, N.C.
Casteel (Queen Creek, Ariz.) 3, St. John Bosco 2: The Braves suffered their first defeat in North Carolina. Jack Champlin threw five innings and also had two RBIs.
Chatsworth 6, Taft 3: Tony Del Rio Nava threw six innings and had two RBIs in the West Valley League win.
Granada Hills 4, El Camino Real 3: A two-run single by Nicholas Penaranda in the seventh inning keyed a three-run inning for the Highlanders in their West Valley League upset. JJ Saffie had three hits for ECR.
Cleveland 4, Birmingham 3: The Cavaliers pushed across a run in the top of the 10th inning to break a 3-3 tie in the West Valley League win. Joshua Pearlstein finished with three hits, including a home run.
Sun Valley Poly 4, San Fernando 2: Fabian Bravo gave up four hits in 6 2/3 innings for the Parrots, who are tied with Sylmar for first place in the Valley Mission League. Ray Pelayo struck out eight for San Fernando.
Verdugo Hills 15, Kennedy 1: Cutlor Fannon had two doubles and four RBIs in the five-inning win. Anthony Velasquez added two singles and four RBIs.
Westlake 9, Agoura 4: Jaxson Neckien hit a three-run home run to power the Warriors.
Thousand Oaks 7, Calabasas 5: Gavin Berigan, Jeff Adams and Cru Hopkins each had two hits for the Lancers.
Oaks Christian 11, Newbury Park 2: Dane Disney contributed three hits in the Marmonte League win. Carson Sheffer had two doubles and three RBIs.
Santa Monica 12, Simi Valley 4: Ryan Breslo and Johnny Recendez had two RBIs and a triple for Santa Monica. Ravi Chernack had three RBIs.
Dana Hills 7, Corona Santiago 0: Gavin Giese finished with eight strikeouts over six innings and gave up one hit for Dana Hills.
Softball
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 10, Sierra Canyon 0: Kelsey Luderer contributed three hits and two RBIs while freshman Ainsley Jenkins threw five scoreless innings.
Chaminade 15, Louisville 2: Norah Pettersen had two hits and four RBIs.
Carson 10, San Pedro 0: Atiana Rodriguez finished with three hits, including a double and triple, and three RBIs.
Huntington Beach 6, El Modena 2: Willow Kellen had three hits for the Oilers.
Murrieta Mesa 15, Chaparral 0: It’s a 16-0 start for the Rams. Tatum Wolff hit two home runs.
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The fiancée of Buffalo Sabres star Rasmus Dahlin received a roaring welcome home in her first appearance of the season Wednesday night, months after undergoing a lifesaving transplant after she suffered heart failure during a vacation in France.
Carolina Matovac, 25, was shown on the jumbotron during Wednesday’s game against the Boston Bruins. Fans cheered as she waved, and Dahlin, who was also shown on the screen in a split, cracked a smile at the crowd’s reaction.
Carolina Matovac and Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres pose on the red carpet at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Feb. 1, 2024. (Nicole Osborne/NHLI via Getty Images)
“Welcome home to Carolina Matovac, the fiancée of our captain Rasmus Dahlin,” the arena announcer said. “She is back with us, attending her first game of the season. The Sabrehood loves you, Carolina.”
In an open letter to fans in September, Dahlin shared that Matovac had been feeling ill for several days during their trip, which led to her experiencing “major heart failure.”
“Fortunately, she received CPR on multiple occasions, and up to a couple of hours at a time to keep her alive, which ultimately saved her life. Without her receiving lifesaving CPR, the result would have been unimaginable. It is hard to even think about the worst-case scenario,” he wrote at the time.
Rasmus Dahlin (of the Buffalo Sabres prepares for a faceoff during a game against the New York Rangers at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y., Oct. 9, 2025. (Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)
Matovac remained on life support for weeks before receiving the transplant in France.
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In January, Matovac revealed she was pregnant when her heart failed, adding that her unborn child was the reason she went to the hospital initially.
“You will always hold a special place in our hearts as our first baby, even though we never had the chance to meet. Our love for you is endless,” she wrote in a post on Instagram on what was supposed to be her due date.
“Though you didn’t get to experience this world, you played a vital role in ensuring that I could continue to be a part of it.”
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin follows the puck in the first period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on April 1, 2025. (Marc DesRosiers/Imagn Images)
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Despite taking some time to be with Matovac as she recovered in their native Sweden, Dahlin is second on the team with 65 points, and the Sabres are on the cusp of ending an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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