Tech hoping diet, yoga part of the answer
Georgia Tech guard Omoregie Uzzi and quarterback Tevin Washington live in symbiosis. Uzzi, the two-time All-ACC lineman, shields defensive tackles out of arm’s reach from Washington. Uzzi can explain his teammate and roommate’s returned benefit.
“We live right by the Krispy Kreme, so he makes sure I don’t make so many trips over there,” he said.
As the Yellow Jackets plow into their first full week of preseason camp, many of them do so with minds and bodies committed to forsaking glazed doughnuts and fueling up in a manner more conducive to making tackles, adding muscle mass and building endurance.
“I feel like I can run way longer than I could last year,” A-back Orwin Smith said. “It feels good, especially coming back from that (toe) injury and then being one of the guys that’s in the front running (in conditioning drills). Like I tell ‘em, I feel like it’s what I’m eating.”
Hired in May, strength and conditioning coach John Sisk has driven the emphasis performance through nutrition. As a result, all of the incoming freshmen and between 30 and 40 team members met over the summer with Leah Thomas, dietician for Tech’s varsity teams as well as the director of the Total Person program, far more than in previous years.
“He’s made it pretty clear, this is a piece of [a player’s development], and if they’re missing it, then they’re missing a piece,” Thomas said.
Thomas’ main points to players include eating five or six smaller meals a day rather than three big ones. Another is finding the right balance and volume of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, with an emphasis on complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. She took players on tours of a nearby Publix, suggesting they stick to the perimeter of the store (where the less processed items are) and showing them how to read labels (“If it’s really whole wheat, whole wheat would be the first ingredient in the list”).
Acknowledging that no one has flawless eating habits, she gave players a list of better choices when going to fast-food restaurants. Offensive tackle Ray Beno said he has made big changes to his diet. He hasn’t eaten fast food since May, even his beloved Taco Bell.
Beno said he is “just trying to watch what I eat. Not really a calorie counter, just being mindful.”
Smith, who said he used to eat anything available, can match Beno’s restraint. He said he hasn’t eaten a hamburger since May. His menu is heavy on oatmeal, fruit, baked fish, chicken and turkey burgers.
“You just get so used to [not eating well] because you eat whatever you want and you still see yourself performing at a certain level,” Smith said. “But I try to tell guys to stop eating it. You may think you’re at peak performance, but you’re not.”
To that end, Smith also organized a yoga class for the team over the summer.
“A lot of times, athletes, they’re doing these repetitive movements, but they create a lot of imbalance within their bodies,” said Tonja Bennett, the class instructor. “Yoga comes in and it balances it.”
The classes lasted about 90 minutes in the locker room, twice a week.
“She stretches everything from your foot all the way to your biceps,” Smith said. “Even your neck. And some of the poses are very difficult. You’re balancing and stretching at the same time.”
Quarterback Vad Lee, defensive end Emmanuel Dieke, safety Isaiah Johnson, tackle T.J. Barnes and walk-on linebacker Joshua Rogers were among the more frequent participants. Barnes found it beneficial if difficult, including one exercise that required him to stretch his back muscles and hold the pose for close to a minute.
“I don’t know the name of the position, but it made me want to not come back,” he said, “but I kept on coming.”
The Jackets may never achieve run-pass balance. But after an educational summer, perhaps different kinds of equilibrium can sustain them.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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130 comments Add your comment
Tech hoping diet, yoga part of the answer – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | Best Yoga Online
August 6th, 2012
4:07 pm
[...] News Sources wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt [...]
Great Read
August 6th, 2012
4:11 pm
Ken, I love it. Great read. You’re doing a great job this summer. Can’t wait of wennie to come along and bash Coach Johnson because the players are eating healthier and doing yoga. Keep up the great work!!!
First
August 6th, 2012
4:16 pm
Thanks for the insight! Hope it translates to more W’s. The players did attain total enlightenment, so they got that going for them…
Tech hoping diet, yoga part of the answer – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | Ez Yoga Store
August 6th, 2012
4:19 pm
[...] webmaster@technorati.com wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt [...]
George Stein
August 6th, 2012
4:22 pm
Good stuff, Ken. I have really enjoyed the unique features you’ve been writing during the offseason.
Tech hoping diet, yoga part of the answer – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | Yoga Deals Blog
August 6th, 2012
4:32 pm
[...] News Sources wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt [...]
Buzzed
August 6th, 2012
4:44 pm
Why no comments allowed on the possible suspension of a player for selling tickets?
Tech hoping diet, yoga part of the answer – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | Free Yoga Blog
August 6th, 2012
4:50 pm
[...] News Sources wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt [...]
Supersize that order, mutt
August 6th, 2012
4:52 pm
@ Buzzed……because it’s old news….almost a year old, in fact. Enough has been said already.
5150 UOAD
August 6th, 2012
4:58 pm
live in symbiosis…………..
Ken is trying to make the dWags use Webster’s On-line Dictionary.
Tech hoping diet, yoga part of the answer – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | Yoga Today Store
August 6th, 2012
4:59 pm
[...] News Sources wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt [...]
Mind in the Hedges
August 6th, 2012
4:59 pm
Yoga!?!?!?! You’ve got to be kidding me. You wonder why you can’t beat the Dawgs? Answer: Yoga… good luck with that one. Florida State will have their way with the bees this year. Yoga… chuckle.
5150 UOAD
August 6th, 2012
5:02 pm
Mind in the Hedges…………….I guess you don’t know/remember when NFL Wide Receivers were taking Ballet.
5150 UOAD
August 6th, 2012
5:09 pm
Does anybody else want a Doughnut now?
Big Ol Stinger
August 6th, 2012
5:11 pm
When’s that Florida State game this year? I must have forgotten!
Must be the same weekend as the LSU/Georgie game.
The Dude
August 6th, 2012
5:13 pm
@Mind – Yoga is new to this year, so arguing that’s the reason for losing to UoG in the past is invalid. Second, FSU won’t have a chance to “have their way with the bees” unless it’s in the ACCCG. I’m guessing you’re probably too dumb to put all of that together, though. Any more super insightful comments?
Supersize that order, mutt
August 6th, 2012
5:22 pm
Maybe if “Mind in the Hedges” would get out of the bush, he might see the light
5150 UOAD
August 6th, 2012
5:22 pm
I KNOW I just lost 2 years off my LIFE during the EXTRA TIME.
Now we have to avenge the World Cup loss to Nippon.
Paul in NH
August 6th, 2012
5:59 pm
There is an old saying – no exercise program in the world can overcome a bad diet. Good to see the GT players paying more attention to what they eat.
bcall123169
August 6th, 2012
6:01 pm
guess we got our mind on yoga and the puppies have there mind on brownies,TO HELL WITH ga.
Big Crimson 75
August 6th, 2012
6:08 pm
Yoga!!??
Didn’t He train Luke Skywalker?
Supersize that order, mutt
August 6th, 2012
6:08 pm
LOL @ Crimson….that was YODA
chestie
August 6th, 2012
6:10 pm
h
chestie
August 6th, 2012
6:11 pm
not understanding why CPJ would suspend Louis Young for two games. The bowl game should have been enough punishment not being able to fly to El Paso and take part in that event. Hell, Richt unsuspended one of his pot smoking players (guess its ok now) and Spurrier unsuspended his 3rd string QB for drinking and driving underage. It seems its not illegal in SC even though the kid was arrested in NC. Geez………………………………..
Big Crimson 75
August 6th, 2012
6:11 pm
Mind — check the schedule, pal.
Oh wait, I made the same mistake last week!!
jeff jacket
August 6th, 2012
6:25 pm
chestie — As a 40 year tech fan I will tell you why , the same reason the dumb-pups have had 28 arrests in the past 2-3 years. If you want the honor of wearing the GT on your helmet , you live it on and off the field! CPJ is the best thing to happen on the flats since Bobby Dodd! His players know he means what he says and will follow up.
Mind in the Hedges
August 6th, 2012
6:26 pm
Ahhh you are right… GT will not play Florida State this year. I guess there’s a lot more UGA players doing ballet in the NFL – UGA 49 Tech 24 current players…
Now pipe down boys while you hold that pose… Bake me another cake when you’re done
dry dirt road
August 6th, 2012
6:27 pm
The KK area on Ponce De Leon was my old neighborhood for awhile also like these young fellas. The assemblyline of hot donuts was hard to resist. A bag of a half a dozen would get polished off easily, and the availability of workout areas at Tech kept my weight down irregardless of the donuts. Fingertip pushups on Grant Field, grabbing a North Stand bleacher for pushps, universal weight machine in old gym…no problem with hot Krispy Kreme donuts, no weight gain. I recall one night at KK when the late Duane Allman walked in by himself and sat at the crowded counter with the crowd of complete strangers. I’m sure everybody new who he was though.
Ken Sugiura
August 6th, 2012
6:28 pm
- chestie – it’s not up to him. the ncaa rule for violations of this nature is 20 percent of a season. that’s 2.4 games. something like DUI is a violation of team rules, not NCAA. it’s up to the school and coach.
- thanks for the kind words on the story to those who offered them. thanks for reading.
- buzzed – it’s basically the policy for posts of that ilk. the dialogue is almost guaranteed to not end (or start, for that matter) well.
Destin Dawg
August 6th, 2012
6:37 pm
Nutrition is important, UGA has had Jen Ketterly on board full time for over a year now… Dawgs eat a free lunch buffet at Butts Mehre every day … meat and veggies home cookin’ .. not donuts !!! Go dawgs #1 !
Destin Dawg
August 6th, 2012
6:40 pm
and no GT won’t play FSU this year
Wrecker
August 6th, 2012
6:45 pm
Agreed, Destin Dawg. These guys better eat right now. When their athletic career is over and they are not burning 6000 calories a day, they want to be able to eat correctly and avoid that extra 150 lbs I see on old athletes.
Destin Dawg
August 6th, 2012
6:46 pm
Don’t laugh… Yoga may not be a bad idea… help with cramping in the hot early season games ?? can’t hurt
Big Crimson 75
August 6th, 2012
6:53 pm
I usually don’t look for the ignorant, but I must say, I’m surprised WrecksNEffect hasn’t written a short story on how useless yoga would be for a football team — how nutrition & diet couldn’t possibly help a team win games — how Coach Johnson is wasting Techs $$ on conditioning when he should be recruiting players GT has zero chance of landing/getting in school!!
I’m disappointed WnE.
5150 UOAD
August 6th, 2012
6:57 pm
Destin… Theus is doing his best Molly Ringwald on Roller Skates exorcises right now. He is such a Purdy Read Head with a nice Bra Full of Moobs.
Whack Hyder
August 6th, 2012
6:57 pm
Glad to see that Leah Thomas is being recognized for the outstanding work she does with the athletes at GT. She has done excellent work in carrying on “Total Person Development” program instituted by Dr. Homer Rice.
5150 UOAD
August 6th, 2012
6:58 pm
Bi Cri there you go…….Baiting the HOOK……
Big Crimson 75
August 6th, 2012
7:00 pm
51 / Supe — When is this Angelo dude running for the Gold? Tonight?
Big Crimson 75
August 6th, 2012
7:01 pm
….and of course by tonight, I mean 3 hours ago!!
Delbert D.
August 6th, 2012
7:06 pm
Georgia Tech might play Florida State this season.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 6th, 2012
7:07 pm
@ Crimson…. it was today, and Angelo finished 5th. Another American came in 2nd DAMN !!!!
yeller bug
August 6th, 2012
7:09 pm
Ken, kudos for all the articles!!! You’re setting a high bar to sustain during the season. Question on Louis Young—it seemed implied in an earlier article that the coach can choose which games Young must sit out. He sat out the Bowl game so he must sit out 1.4 more games—can it be Presbyterian and MTSU? Or must they be done consectutively?
Supersize that order, mutt
August 6th, 2012
7:09 pm
@ Crimson……Ken has a blog on that just recently opened
Supersize that order, mutt
August 6th, 2012
7:10 pm
@ yeller bug……from what I read earlier, the games sat out are completely at the coach’s discretion
yeller bug
August 6th, 2012
7:14 pm
Thanks Super…CPJ hasn’t committed to sit out Young on 9/3 has he? I think I read that he said he wasn’t going to say until the week before.
GT GRAD
August 6th, 2012
7:20 pm
great read……..keep it coming……..Go GT!
Supersize that order, mutt
August 6th, 2012
7:42 pm
@ yeller bug, no he hasn’t said yet.
Tech is a joke
August 6th, 2012
7:46 pm
hey Supersize
You are a d’bag that is all
5150 UOAD
August 6th, 2012
7:55 pm
Super Email GT LEE a photo of a Jackal . At VORTEX bar they have a stuffed Coyote but they were arguing what is was. a jackal or Coyote. it doesn’t have the BLACK BACK so it is a Coyote.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 6th, 2012
7:57 pm
Will do, UOAD