'I have narcolepsy': Morton senior captain balances sleep disorder with school and football

PEORIA — Noah Losey quit playing baseball because he would fall asleep in the dugout during games.

But on a football field, the senior has been a real eye-opener as a splendid fullback and linebacker for Morton.

In fact, he might very well be one-of-a-kind among Peoria area players.

"I have narcolepsy," said Losey, 17. "And I want a chance to tell my story."

Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that affects the brain's ability to control sleep-wake cycles. People with narcolepsy may feel rested after waking, but then feel very sleepy throughout much of the day. Patients sometimes fall asleep in the midst of activity all around them.

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"Doctors told me mine was one of the more severe cases they'd seen," Losey said. "I'd take naps once a day in school, a cot on the floor with a pillow in the office. Did that every day through my sophomore year.

"As a senior, I can leave campus, so I eat my lunch and take a nap at home."

Morton football coach Adam O'Neill is proud of his player, and how he deals with his reality.

"Noah does a great job advocating for himself with his teachers," O'Neill said. "He's more than just a good football player. He's a leader, and he inspires people around him."

'I realized something was wrong'

Losey was a baseball player as a grade-schooler. But his talent and his medical situation were no match for the sport.

"Honestly, I was really bad at baseball," he said. "Better players would tease me a lot. I was trying to have fun, while they were really competitive."

It pushed him, though. He'd get up at 5 a.m. and put himself through workouts in his garage before going to school. Often, he'd fall asleep in the midst of those workouts.

"I realized something was wrong," Losey said. "One day, in fourth-grade in science class, we were taking notes and I fell asleep and the teacher was yelling at me. I finally woke up after she pounded on my desk. Looking back that was one of the first incidents I had.

"In fifth grade, we'd have a one-hour reading time every day. I would pick up my book and fall asleep. Tried so hard but just couldn't get through it."

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Finally, Losey was diagnosed in seventh grade. He says discovering the problem was an exciting moment for him — and a relief. He was initially medicated with Ritalin, but over time did not like the side effects, which he said made him irritable and mean. Doctors switched him to Adderall, and that has produced a better chemical balance for him and is working well.

In junior high, he was able to play four sports. In high school, he is a two-way starter in football and plays lacrosse.

Football and a narcoleptic journey

The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Losey said baseball had the side-effect of leading him to football.

"I started to get bigger and get a little more physical and aggressive than baseball should be," he said. "A coach asked me to think about football. Coming into junior high, I went out for football. Being out there with the guys, letting out that energy, and I was good at it. It changed everything for me. It opened a whole new path for me.

"Football was just something I loved from the moment I started playing it. Football, you want to make yourself better."

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Now he's a captain for the varsity Potters. He stood on the field, addressing the team after its opening night comeback victory on Friday.

"The other day we had film, and I really want to concentrate because it's so important," Losey said. "But I was just dozing off, trying to stay awake. It's an ongoing battle for me. Games are later, I'm a little more tired. But the adrenaline and coffee before the game carries me through it."

Drive-thrus, grades and life with narcolepsy

Losey has a meeting at the start of each school year with all of his teachers to work out a plan that accommodates his medical condition.

"I have an extra day to do homework — I have to send email to teachers notifying them," he said. "State testing, someone is assigned to watch me so I can take breaks, drink a soda and re-energize.

"My nap is in the plan, my testing accommodations, and seating where I choose. I like to sit by the door, so if I start to get drowsy I can leave the room quickly without disrupting everything.

Losey said all his teachers have been really understanding or have had students with narcolepsy in the past. "Although," he said, "substitute teachers sometimes don't believe me, because it does all sound outlandish."

He has enrolled in honors-level classes since he was a freshman, and has earned a place on Morton's Honor Roll in all but one semester. He wants to go to college and major in history, then launch a career teaching it.

"I don't want people to think I can't do anything for myself with narcolepsy," Losey said.

Indeed, he has two jobs: He works in the service department at Mike Murphy Ford car dealership in Morton on weekdays, and on weekends he works at Jimmy John's in Morton.

Yes, he gets tired. But it's not movie-style tired.

"People think narcolepsy is just falling asleep on a dot," Losey said. "But for me, it's more gradual. If I don't get a lot of sleep one night, I know it's going to be a rough one and I'm fighting it for 2-3 days. I have to manage things differently.

"I have my license and I drive, yes. But I keep it under an hour and I have to be really careful. I've had days where I put my window down, turn the air on my face, crank the radio and force myself to keep my eyes open. I fell asleep once in a (fast-food) drive-thru. So embarrassing."

A message from Noah Losey

Losey stood in the post-game huddle with his teammates Friday and talked about meeting challenges and getting ready for the next game.

Off the field, he has a message for everyone else.

"If you have an opportunity, go as hard and as far as you can," he said. "Not everyone gets the chance. It's the only way you'll know. The only thing worse than narcolepsy is missing the chance to compete, and being left with not knowing what you might have done.

"To me, that's the only true failure."

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Morton senior has two jobs, manages school, football and narcolepsy