When children dream of becoming professional football players, they often envision themselves as quarterbacks, running backs, or wide receivers, rarely as the behemoths on the offensive line. Yet, these often-overlooked athletes are essential to the success of any NFL team, with the best among them earning top dollar. While the life of an offensive lineman may not be glamorous, revolving around relentless eating and intense workouts to maintain their massive frames, the rewards can be significant.
The "Bigs": Size and Strength Requirements
Offensive and defensive linemen, often referred to as the "Bigs," require immense size, strength, and specific positioning. NFL offensive linemen typically range from 300 to over 360 pounds, with many carrying substantial muscle mass and body fat percentages between 18% and 30%. Defensive line composition varies based on defensive schemes, typically involving one or two defensive tackles and two defensive ends. These players work with linebackers to control the line of scrimmage. Due to the variability of defensive schemes, the size of defensive linemen can vary significantly.
Caloric Needs and Macronutrient Focus
Due to their size and energy demands, offensive and defensive linemen require significantly more calories than the average individual to maintain muscle mass and body weight. Caloric needs can range from 3,500 to 6,000 calories per day, depending on individual needs and goals. The focus is primarily on lean protein sources, complex or simple carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Creating a plan that caters to an athlete's specific needs, food preferences, allergies, and motivation is crucial. Nutrition quality is also paramount, with locally sourced and organic foods being a priority.
Carbohydrates are the most critical macronutrient for football players because of the sport's explosive nature.
A Day in the Life: Diet and Hydration
Ted Karras, an NFL player, exemplifies the high-calorie intake required, focusing on calorie consumption rather than strict dietary restrictions. He consumes at least four meals a day, plus snacks, primarily after practice to avoid feeling heavy on the field. His daily intake includes fruit smoothies, Uncrustables (extra-large peanut butter and jelly sandwiches), and a significant amount of fluids, including water, Gatorade with added salt, and DripDrop electrolyte powder.
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Terron Armstead follows a less strict diet, avoiding fried foods and excessive bread, and limiting sweets to once a week. Tyler Shatley relies on a high-carbohydrate diet to maintain his weight, while Joe Thomas estimates consuming 7,500-8,000 calories daily, emphasizing the need for sugar over steaks.
Mindy Black, the Jaguars' director of performance nutrition, stresses the importance of carbohydrates and recommends fluids, calorie-infused fruit smoothies, and less-bulky foods like peanut butter, nuts, and seeds for players struggling to maintain weight. She also suggests loading baked potatoes with butter and cheese to increase calorie intake.
The Importance of Hydration
Hydration is as crucial as food. Players consume water, Pedialyte, Gatorade, and DripDrop constantly. Tyler Shatley loses 10-15 pounds daily through sweat and replenishes fluids rapidly. Christian Wilkins prefers a "cumulative effect" of hydration, sipping water throughout the day rather than chugging it before practice. Terron Armstead estimates drinking 2.5 gallons of water daily, especially in hot climates where players can lose 10-12 pounds.
Individualized Approaches and Nutritional Awareness
Every lineman is different, but nearly everyone prioritizes nutrition, adding fruits and vegetables to their diets. Christian Wilkins emphasizes the importance of calculated eating to maintain ideal weight. NFL teams typically conduct daily weigh-ins during training camp and throughout the season, adding pressure on players to maintain specific weights.
Terron Armstead recalls his former head coach, Sean Payton, being strict about players meeting their expected playing weight, leading some players to extreme measures. Some players with difficulty maintaining weight may report to training camp heavy, expecting to sweat down to their ideal weight.
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Weigh-Ins: Psychological Impact and Health Focus
Ted Karras views weigh-ins as psychological, aiming to maintain his expected playing weight to influence his approach to practice. Mindy Black works to alleviate players' anxiety around weigh-ins by addressing their preferred weight and struggles. She emphasizes a healthy approach rather than relying on saunas or excessive water consumption.
Nick Eason stresses the importance of fueling the body with the right food for overall health and injury prevention. He shares his personal experience of reaching nearly 400 pounds due to poor eating habits, highlighting the long-term consequences of neglecting nutrition.
Post-Career Weight Challenges
Mindy Black notes that some players struggle with weight gain after retirement, particularly those with a fondness for Southern food. Joe Thomas, after retiring, successfully dropped to his pre-college playing weight by changing his diet and reducing inflammation.
Nick Eason acknowledges the challenges of weight management, describing food as an addiction and emphasizing the importance of rest, water, and nutrition for current players to prevent post-career weight issues.
The Lineman's Mindset: Bulking Up and Slimming Down
Jordan Gross, a former offensive tackle, noted that fans know him more for losing weight than anything he did in his entire career. Alan Faneca recalls his position coach chastising the entire offensive line for "looking like a bunch of stuffed sausages," challenging them to lose weight. Joe Thomas bluntly states that players "train themselves to have an eating disorder" in the NFL.
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Many offensive linemen develop unhealthy relationships with food, with body image and self-esteem issues often festering. Joe Hawley admitted to feeling insecure about being a 300-pound man, but felt compelled to maintain that weight to excel in football.
The Evolution of Lineman Size
Dr. Archie Roberts notes a push in the 1990s to increase lineman size to improve passing plays. The average weight of starting offensive linemen has increased significantly over the years, from 254.3 pounds in 1970 to 315 pounds today.
The Benefits of Slimming Down
Although mass helps on the field, health complications can arise. Massive weight gain can lead to obesity, affecting the heart, lungs, kidneys, and mind. Many players downsize after their careers to improve their health.
Alan Faneca remembers the day he hit a milestone of losing 30 pounds when he got up without having to "do the old-man grunt." Joe Thomas noted that when he was 300 pounds, his body would ache if he had to stand for a few minutes. Jordan Gross hated the sweating.
Jeff Hardwick said his initial motivation to lose weight was to relieve pressure from his body but then he wanted "to be able to wear cooler clothes, and go into stores and start shopping off the rack." Joe Staley admits he likes the fact that his muscles are getting defined.
The Extreme Measures to Gain Weight
Some linemen must artificially add pounds, while others are naturally big. Damien Woody says he could "literally breathe and inhale and gain 5 pounds." Jeff Hardwick ballooned to 295 pounds in college by slathering 2 pounds of ground beef on multiple tortillas at dinner. Blake Bartch added 59 pounds to his frame by consuming a daily dose of ground beef and tortillas.
Chris Bober ate everything he could get his hands on, including two foot-long subs at Subway and a 12-pack of tacos and a pound of potato oles at Taco John's. Joe Staley would wake himself up in the middle of the night to down a 2,000-calorie weight-gainer shake.
The NFL's Impact on Eating Habits
Many older players credit the 2011 collective bargaining agreement, which banned training camp two-a-days, as a turning point. Jordan Gross counted to 15 one-thousands on the soft-serve machine, then blended that with four cups of whole milk, plus three homemade chocolate cookies and Hershey's chocolate syrup.
Post-Career Transformations
Damien Woody weighed 388 pounds four years after retiring and appeared on NBC's "The Biggest Loser." He lost 100 pounds on the show but gained it all back. He later renovated his basement into an exercise room and meal prepped with his family.
The Nutritional Philosophy of Lane Johnson
Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson relies on a meat and potatoes diet, prepared by his personal chef Justin Massie. Massie focuses on high-quality ingredients and healthy cooking methods to meet Johnson's nutritional needs.
Massie ensures Johnson consumes around one gram of protein per pound of body weight, totaling roughly 300 grams of protein and 4,000 calories daily. He avoids onions and bell peppers, which Johnson won't eat.
The Allure of Fast Food
Joe Thomas finds a McDonald's on the GPS and orders two double cheeseburgers, two McChickens, a double quarter-pounder with cheese, one large order of fries and a large Dr. Pepper.