I was heaviest NFL player ever at 410lbs - I turned 30,000 calories-a-day into 1,500 sit-ups and am

July 10, 2024

AARON Gibson has gone from being the heaviest NFL player ever to sporting a ripped six-pack.

The former offensive tackle, 45, weighed in at a mammoth 410 pounds during his playing days and claims he used to eat up to 30,000 calories per day.

While with the Dallas Cowboys in 2002, Gibson became the first player in history to be listed at 400 pounds or above.

A first-round pick in the 1999 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis native was a fearsome O-line presence.

Standing at 6-foot-6, he was an imposing 440 pounds in high school where he initially dominated his peers as a defensive tackle.

He would go on to play 38 games in six seasons in the NFL, with persistent shoulder injuries derailing his career.

Most read in American Football

"That wasn't going to happen at Wisconsin, but that was in my head. I ate like that until exhaustion."

Gibson estimates that he sank between 20,000 to 30,000 calories per day, sneaking snacks past his conditioning coaches.

Despite his immense size and appetite, Gibson excelled in his new right tackle position and was a consensus All-American in 1999.

He was selected by the Detroit Lions in the NFL Draft later that year - where teammates were stunned by his portion size.

Fellow Lions rookie Nakia Codie told Bleacher: "I don't know how he burned it off.

"How do you eat that much food, and then still be hungry two hours later? This guy was eating meals every two hours."

Gibson was once fined $80,000 for arriving at camp overweight, per Bleacher.

And persistent Injuries would mean that Gibson never got to fulfill his potential in the NFL.

He left the league in 2004 following spells with the Cowboys and Chicago Bears, playing sporadically for a number of Arena franchises over the following seasons.

Gibson ballooned up to 480 pounds after football, spending four years depressed and eating poorly in Dallas.

But after meeting partner Brigitte, he was inspired to start exercising again and challenged himself to eat better.

Gibson dropped 100 pounds in a single year, crashing out intense workouts that involved 1,500 crunches a day.

He explained: "I went hard. I was not going to stop.

"You do all of this work, eating all the food, and preparing and doing all of that and it's worth it.

"You see the numbers going off on the scale, which is awesome."

Gibson eventually got down to 290 pounds, dropping a remarkable 14 inches off his waist.

He struggled with his mobility after receiving a poisonous spider bite in his yard, resulting in the loss of one of his toes.

But Gibson recently shared a snap on his Instagram, showcasing his epic transformation with a ripped torso.

He captioned the pic: "Finally under 300lbs.. was 480lbs now let’s see where I can get myself."

One fan replied to the snap: "Looking good Big Gib."

I was heaviest NFL player ever at 410lbs - I turned 30,000 calories-a-day into 1,500 sit-ups and am

READ MORE ON NFL

Most read in American Football

Read More on The US Sun