Jake Long retired from the NFL after the 2016 season. Eight years later, he is almost unrecognizable from his playing days due to a surprising amount of weight loss.
Long was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday for his achievements at the University of Michigan. During his five seasons, Long was a two-time Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year and a two-time All-American. After his college career, he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins and played nine professional seasons.
As a professional, Long weighed 315 pounds. But the man who showed up at the induction ceremony at Detroit’s MotorCity Casino Hotel was more than 70 pounds lighter, according to Tony Paul of the Detroit News, who posted a photo of a noticeably thinner Long on social media.
Holy moly, UM football legend Jake Long, member of the @MSHOF Class of 2024, has lost some serious weight. Over 70 pounds in the last few years. The secret, he said: Peloton and therapy. pic.twitter.com/6AbruWHJyL
– Tony Paul | Detroit News (@TonyPaul1984) October 17, 2024
Long’s secret to losing more than a quarter of his body weight during his NFL days is “Peloton and therapy,” according to Paul.
Long may have an endorsement deal with Peloton in his future after giving the popular exercise bike a shout-out. How many cardio machines could he sell while showing a loss of over £70?
The therapy part, however, is the more serious – and compelling – aspect of Long’s body transformation. After years of trying to maintain his weight to the NFL’s offensive lineman standards, it was probably difficult to slim down to a more conventional and healthier weight and physique.
Long’s weight remained consistent throughout his NFL career, although he dropped to 308 pounds after the 2015 season. But before his junior season at Michigan, he lost 22 pounds to improve his agility, conditioning and speed. That clearly paid off for Long, who from there had two All-Big Ten and All-American seasons and went on to the NFL.
Add Long to a list of former NFL giants who slimmed down to so-called normal size after their playing careers, including Howie Long, Michael Strahan, Russell Okung, Joe Thomas, Mike Golic, Jeff Saturday, Alan Faneca and Brad Culpepper.
Has Netflix considered making a docuseries about these guys and their stories?
