BlitzburghRockCity
05-08-2012, 12:41 PM
We all remember Casey Hampton eating his way out of the lineup in training camp a few years ago. Now with the Big Snack II or the coliseum as some are starting to call him that could be an issue in the future for Alameda Ta'amu but according to this article in the Trib, those years are behind him.
Casey Hampton arrived at training camp so overweight a few years ago that Steelers coach Mike Tomlin banished him to the physically-unable-to-perform list for two weeks.
Steelers’ fourth-round pick Alameda Ta’amu can relate, but the heir apparent to Hampton at nose tackle believes the times of him “sitting on my butt all day” are well behind him.
“(Weight) was an issue my first two years of college,” Ta’amu said. “I knew I had to change my ways.”
At a position where bigger is always better, unbeknownst to him, Ta’amu took that to the extreme during his freshman year at the University of Washington.
While becoming a Parade All-American at Rainier Beach High School his senior year, the 17-year-old Ta’amu played at a hefty 330 pounds but still was able to create havoc with his unusual athleticism until a broken foot forced him to the sideline for the final two games.
After two months of healing, Ta’amu decided to play in the Offense-Defense All-American Game at the Orange Bowl, where he re-injured the foot, preventing him from working out.
Between January and July, Ta’amu gained more than 50 pounds.
“After the season, he started to eat and didn’t work out much and he just ballooned up,” said Mark Haley, Ta’amu’s high school coach. “He kind of couldn’t do a whole lot, so he just sat around and ate.”
When Ta’amu arrived for the first day of training camp at Washington, he stepped on a scale for the first time in months.
“The scale kept going up, so I hopped off and said: ‘Hold on, hold on, man,’ ” Ta’amu said. “I went into college thinking I was 330 or 340.”
Instead, he weighed 380.
“I didn’t even know I was that big,” Ta’amu said.
Despite coming to camp out of shape, Ta’amu dropped 50 pounds and contributed as a true freshman, starting five games and posting 21 tackles.
Ta’amu never had an issue with his weight since. He’s been as low as 320 pounds and weighed in at this past weekend’s rookie minicamp at 346.
Full Article (http://triblive.com/sports/1452321-85/amu-steelers-pounds-pick-senior-camp-college-freshman-issue-round)
Casey Hampton arrived at training camp so overweight a few years ago that Steelers coach Mike Tomlin banished him to the physically-unable-to-perform list for two weeks.
Steelers’ fourth-round pick Alameda Ta’amu can relate, but the heir apparent to Hampton at nose tackle believes the times of him “sitting on my butt all day” are well behind him.
“(Weight) was an issue my first two years of college,” Ta’amu said. “I knew I had to change my ways.”
At a position where bigger is always better, unbeknownst to him, Ta’amu took that to the extreme during his freshman year at the University of Washington.
While becoming a Parade All-American at Rainier Beach High School his senior year, the 17-year-old Ta’amu played at a hefty 330 pounds but still was able to create havoc with his unusual athleticism until a broken foot forced him to the sideline for the final two games.
After two months of healing, Ta’amu decided to play in the Offense-Defense All-American Game at the Orange Bowl, where he re-injured the foot, preventing him from working out.
Between January and July, Ta’amu gained more than 50 pounds.
“After the season, he started to eat and didn’t work out much and he just ballooned up,” said Mark Haley, Ta’amu’s high school coach. “He kind of couldn’t do a whole lot, so he just sat around and ate.”
When Ta’amu arrived for the first day of training camp at Washington, he stepped on a scale for the first time in months.
“The scale kept going up, so I hopped off and said: ‘Hold on, hold on, man,’ ” Ta’amu said. “I went into college thinking I was 330 or 340.”
Instead, he weighed 380.
“I didn’t even know I was that big,” Ta’amu said.
Despite coming to camp out of shape, Ta’amu dropped 50 pounds and contributed as a true freshman, starting five games and posting 21 tackles.
Ta’amu never had an issue with his weight since. He’s been as low as 320 pounds and weighed in at this past weekend’s rookie minicamp at 346.
Full Article (http://triblive.com/sports/1452321-85/amu-steelers-pounds-pick-senior-camp-college-freshman-issue-round)