When it comes to offensive linemen, the old adage has always been that bigger is better.
But
with the game becoming faster -- paced -- not to mention, you know,
modern concerns about the dangers of obesity -- that notion is quickly
becoming obsolete.
Offensive linemen -- the big, burly ones like
North Carolina State's Tyson Chandler and Ali Kassem -- still like food.
A lot. But both needed to lose weight to play in new head coach Dave
Doeren's up-tempo offense.
The offseason can be especially hard
for a lineman, without the structure of a day-to-day routine or just the
cardio of daily practices.
Kassem transferred to N.C. State in
January from ASA College in New York City, but when he came to Raleigh
for his official visit, he was 380. Chandler had gained weight too,
getting perilously close to 370.
Neither of them was going to be
able to play effectively at that weight. So strength and conditioning
coach Jason Veltkamp created the Belly Busters Challenge.
"The
first one to 330 (pounds) wins," Chandler said. "There's going to be
steak and lobster at coach (Veltkamp's) house. The loser is going to eat
celery and carrots."
And yes, the loser has to watch the winner eat the steak and lobster.
The
team nutritionist gave both of them a list of what to eat, including
small meals throughout the day. Both went on the plan starting in
January, and the diet was the first step.
It was a change for
Chandler, who didn't even eat breakfast before. "I wasn't even a
breakfast guy. I didn't eat breakfast in the morning," Chandler said.
"Eating meals and having meals in your stomach, it increases your energy
a lot more and you lose weight faster."
So he embraced the diet
of lean meats, vegetables and egg whites, as did Kassem. But Kassem had
to finish up his spring semester at ASA and with no more football until
he got to N.C. State in July, he had time to do nothing but study and
lose weight.
He ate the right things, of course. But he also would go for runs three times a day every day.
"Sometimes,
I would run around the block and I'd probably be outside for 30 minutes
if I was outside. But it was really cold out, so usually I would work
out at the gym," Kassem said. "They had these ellipticals and I would
run for 45 minutes to an hour."
It's hard enough for most people
to make themselves fit cardio in once a day, let only three times. But
Kassem, who started his career at Western Michigan before he transferred
to ASA, sees this as his second chance.
His weight has yo-yoed
from as low as 325 pounds -- which is his goal -- to the 380 of this
past year. And he never wants to get back there again.
"At the
end of the day, it's just that I got the opportunity to play football
again at the Division I level," Kassem said. "That pushes me through
everything. I can be mentally weak and mentally just not able to do
something, but I just push myself through it because I know that I can't
lose this opportunity again."
Kassem got to Raleigh in July
weighing in at around 350, and he's down even further to 339. Chandler
is about 337. And it should only get better -- the structured
environment of camp makes it easier for both to follow the plan.
At
meals, everything is laid out clearly for them. It's kind of like
traffic lights -- red means don't eat this, green means go and yellow
means think about it first.
"When you're going down the lunch
line, just like middle school, they have it all labeled," Chandler said.
"They have stuff for the big guys, stuff for the little guys, then they
have yellow for both guys."
And yes, they still miss food.
Kassem used to eat pizza regularly. Chandler really wishes he could
still eat the occasional Jolly Rancher chew. And fast food, of course.
But the benefits both of them are seeing are already reward enough.
Chandler
remembers what it felt like to play at 320 back in his prep school
days, and he wants to get there again. And the fact that Doeren's staff,
particularly Veltkamp, believes in him is pushing him too.
"When
a coach helps you outside of the weight room, not just in the weight
room, but to lose weight -- he eats with me," Chandler said of Veltkamp
and the staff. "There's always a coach at the table fixing our plate and
stuff like that. There's nothing more you can ask for."
And for Kassem, it's a pretty simple -- but significant -- change.
"I'm
able to wear knee braces without having to worry about it, because
these things are pretty heavy," Kassem said with a grin. "When I was at
ASA, I had my old knee braces and I put them on and I was moving a lot
slower. Basically, I'm just getting back to where I used to be."
It's
still a work in progress for both of them. The team just recently put
on pads, which Doeren called "heat jackets". And both were dripping
sweat and catching their breath long after practice had ended. But they
aren't alone there. It's a big change for the entire team.
Still,
Doeren wants to run a lot of plays and go fast on offense. If the
linemen can't get up to the line of scrimmage quickly, everything falls
apart. If either of them are going to help the team, they need to be in
shape. And Doeren is encouraged that both of them are committed to it.
"They're
better than they were," Doeren said, mentioning the weight loss of both
Kassem and Chandler. "There's some guys that have done the right things
over the summer that look totally different. Hopefully, it'll pay off.
"We'll find out here in the next week or so where their conditioning level is, though."
