NFL Draft Offensive Lineman Alaric Jackson Goes Vegan

American football player Alaric Jackson, who is the offensive lineman for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and 2021 NFL draft, recently revealed that he’s following a vegan diet. The six-foot-six, 315-pound athlete said at a recent media conference that he has been able to maintain the same weight he was when he ate animal products, but now he fills his plate with beans, legumes, vegetables, and plant-based protein. “Nothing really crazy. It’s just that I think it’s better to have this lifestyle football-wise, that’s all,” Jackson said. “To each his own, for the most part. I don’t think it’s unusual or anything. I’m just eating [other] food instead of eating meat.”

Jackson discussed the diet switch with his football coaches, as well as the strength and conditioning staff, who have been helping him stay healthy and strong. “He seems quick. His movements are more sudden. And, I see a change in him in the morning when we practice. He seems to have a little more energy, so maybe there is something to it,” Tim Polasek, Iowa’s offensive line coach, said. “Alaric is doing a great job as we get ready to start the 2020 season. He’s a tough, physical guy and that hasn’t changed—I wouldn’t want it to and neither would he.’’

Last year, professional football player Cam Newton went plant-based in an effort to help him recover quickly from multiple injuries. “I’ve been a vegan all year, and I don’t think I’m going back. I feel good. I recover well. And that’s pretty much what it’s all about,” Newton told ESPN. “It’s not putting certain things in your body that [are] going to combat your body trying to recover. You want to put things in your body that [are] going to expedite that whole process.”