Many former NFL offensive linemen shed copious amounts of weight when their playing days are over. For instance, Hall of Fame tackle Joe Thomas dropped 60 pounds after retiring in March 2018, embracing a healthier lifestyle than his profession had permitted him.
Longtime offensive lineman Russell Okung, however, took a different approach—with drastic results.
Okung tweeted Monday evening that he had lost more than 100 pounds after fasting for 40 days while subsisting on only water. The Oklahoma State product is listed at 310 pounds on his Pro Football Reference page and claims to have weighed more than 330 pounds at times as a player.
The journey from being a 330+ lbs @NFL football player to 100+ lbs lighter - has been unreal! A new me, a new chapter.
— OKUNG 🕊️ (@RussellOkung) June 6, 2023
The number one question I keep hearing is: "how did you do it?" pic.twitter.com/bLBDGe1h7c
In his thread, Okung credited his fast with helping him reset mentally and spiritually while acknowledging the practice “isn’t for everyone.
“As an elite athlete, I was always told to eat big, stay strong. I never questioned it,” Okung wrote. “But breaking away, embracing fasting, it changed everything. I’m not just lighter in weight; I’m lighter in spirit.”
Okung made a pair of Pro Bowls over the course of an 11-year career with the Seahawks, Broncos, Chargers and Panthers. He won a Super Bowl with Seattle during the 2013 season and last played in the NFL in ’20.
