Damien Woody, a former NFL offensive lineman and current ESPN analyst, has become an inspiration to many through his remarkable weight loss journey. His story highlights the challenges faced by athletes who must maintain an enormous size for their sport and the positive changes that can occur when they embrace a healthier lifestyle after retirement.
The Rigors of Maintaining Weight in the NFL
During his NFL career, Damien Woody was part of a group where gaining weight can become an all-consuming sport, which often begins in the collegiate years. Woody himself admits, "I could literally breathe and inhale and gain 5 pounds." During a summer growth spurt after his sophomore year of high school, Woody grew 6 inches and gained 70 pounds. By the time he got to Boston College, he already weighed 300. "It was never a problem for me to put weight on," he said.
Other players had to resort to more extreme measures. Consider Hardwick, who wrestled in the 171-pound weight class in high school. He enrolled at Purdue on a ROTC scholarship, got a tryout for the football team and ballooned to 295 by slathering 2 pounds of ground beef on multiple tortillas at dinner. A daily dose of that concoction added 59 pounds to Bartch's 6-foot-6 frame, helping him morph from a third-string Division III tight end at St. John's (Minnesota) to a fourth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars as an offensive lineman.
The pressure to maintain a high weight is immense. As Thomas puts it, "You're training yourself to have an eating disorder the way you view food when you're in the NFL, and to try to deprogram that is a real challenge."
The "Eating Disorder" Mentality
Many offensive linemen develop an unhealthy relationship with food, often dating back to college. Thomas puts it bluntly: "You're training yourself to have an eating disorder the way you view food when you're in the NFL, and to try to deprogram that is a real challenge." Body image and self-esteem issues can fester, as these athletes are told their worth can essentially be measured in calories and pounds.
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Joe Hawley, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons center/guard, said, "I always had this insecurity of being big when it came to dating life, talking to women and going out being a 300-pound man. I didn't want to be that big, but I had to because I loved football and that was my job."
The Evolution of Weight Standards
Dr. Archie Roberts, a 1965 draft pick of the Jets, notes that playing weights began ballooning across the league, especially on the line. According to Elias Sports Bureau research, the average weight of starting offensive linemen was 254.3 pounds in 1970. It jumped to 276.9 by 1990, but the largest increase in poundage would come in the following 10 years. A decade later, the average O-line starter checked in at 309.4 pounds. Today the number stands at 315, more than 60 pounds heavier than 50 years ago.
The Grueling Diet
The diets of offensive linemen are often extreme. Thomas recalls a potential day in the life: "Think breakfast: four pieces of bacon, four sausage links, eight eggs, three pancakes and oatmeal with peanut butter, followed by a midmorning protein shake. Lunch? Perhaps pasta, meatballs, cookies 'and maybe a salad, great, whatever' from the team cafeteria. For dinner, Thomas could devour an entire Detroit-style pizza himself, and then follow it with a sleeve of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies and a bowl of ice cream. And finally, he would slurp down another protein shake before getting into bed."
When Thomas was at Wisconsin, any player trying to gain weight could grab a 10-ounce to-go carton of heavy whipping cream with added sugars and whey protein after a workout. "I had these premade weight-gainer shakes; they were probably 2,000 calories each," Staley said. "I'd wake myself up in the middle of the night, down that, go back to bed."
Chris Bober, a former New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs lineman, showed up at the University of Nebraska-Omaha at 225 pounds, which was too small. He ate everything he could get his hands on, which was difficult as a college student "who was pretty broke." If Bober went to Subway, he wouldn't just buy one foot-long sub -- he'd get two. At Taco John's, his order was a 12-pack of tacos and a pound of potato oles, which adds up to a nearly 5,000-calorie lunch.
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The Health Consequences
Eating in excess takes a toll on the body. Throughout his career, Thomas woke up in the middle of the night and "crushed Tums." He relied on pain medications and anti-inflammatories, and he had constant heartburn.
Roberts warns that massive weight gain can also lead to obesity. "Which then affects their heart, lungs, kidney and their minds," Roberts said. "It's not proven, but it also may be associated with Alzheimer's disease and possibly traumatic brain injury."
The Transformation After Retirement
Many players must assess whether it's worth it to carry the extra pounds once their playing careers wind down. Many have decided to downsize.
The Benefits of Slimming Down
Thomas said when he was 300 pounds, his body would ache if he had to stand for a few minutes. Gross said he hated the sweating. "I would just sweat profusely all the time," he lamented. "My wife would have hypothermia from me having the room so cold all the time."
Hardwick, a center with the then-San Diego Chargers who maxed out at 308, said his initial motivation to lose weight was to relieve pressure from his body. "But then there's this material aspect to it," Hardwick said. "You want to be able to wear cooler clothes, and go into stores and start shopping off the rack. And that's alluring for a while. Then that wears off, and you settle in, and people stop freaking out every time they see you. And you just become comfortable once again in your own skin."
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Staley admits he likes the fact that his muscles are getting defined. "As an offensive lineman, you're always known as this big, humongous, unathletic blob," Staley said. "Then you get the opportunity to be healthy again, and all of the effort you used to put into football, you put into that. It gives you a focus once you retire. It's a little bit vain, but I'm starting to see abs that I've always wanted. And it's kind of exciting."
Damien Woody's Post-NFL Journey
Four years after retiring, Woody weighed 388 pounds and agreed to appear on NBC's "The Biggest Loser." Instead of heavy lifting and concentrating on explosive bursts, Woody was asked to do longer cardio and train for endurance. "It was totally different from what I had learned to do and had trained to do my entire life," Woody said. "And it was hard. Like, man, it was really tough."
Woody lost 100 pounds on the show -- then gained it all back.
So he just accepted his weight, until this past year, when the 42-year-old renovated his basement into an exercise room. "I wanted to lose weight the right way," Woody said. "In a sustainable way."
Woody lured in his wife and kids to join his mission. On Sunday nights, they meal prep. And every day Woody goes down to the basement to stay active. His prefers the Peloton bike -- "I hit that hard," he said -- but also uses the row machine, and does "all differen…"
A Sustainable Approach
Woody's story exemplifies the importance of finding a sustainable approach to weight loss. Instead of relying on extreme measures, he has focused on creating a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and balanced nutrition.
The NFL Alumni's Initiative
The National Football League Alumni Association (NFL Alumni) launched its 2025 campaign-On 3: Weight. Health. Hike! Through the NFL Alumni Campaign, retired NFL greats will share their own stories about losing weight following their careers in the League. suffer from obesity, which can lead to serious health problems, including heart disease and diabetes.
“I’ve come a long way in my weight journey since I played professional football, and having a health scare made losing weight a priority,” said Damien Woody. “Changing little things, like my eating habits and moving more in my post-NFL career, made a big difference.
Lessons Learned
Damien Woody's weight loss journey offers several valuable lessons:
- The importance of a healthy lifestyle: After years of maintaining a high weight for football, Woody recognized the need to prioritize his health and well-being.
- The power of sustainable change: Instead of relying on quick fixes, Woody focused on creating a sustainable lifestyle that includes regular exercise and balanced nutrition.
- The value of support: Woody's family and friends have played a crucial role in his weight loss journey, providing encouragement and motivation.
- The ability to inspire others: Woody's story has inspired countless people to take control of their own health and wellness.