There are times when Matt Kalil is so full he can't take another bite. Yet he chews on because the consequences of not doing so are too dire to consider as a 21st century left tackle in the National Football League.
Giving in to his overwhelming craving not to maintain his consumption of 6,000 to 6,500 calories per day would cause Kalil to essentially shrink. Rapidly.
"I know, I know, 'Poor guy. Must be tough having to eat all the time,' " says Kalil, the Vikings' 6-7, 307-pound rookie. "But, really, it is sometimes. I mean there are times when I feel completely stuffed and it's time to eat again."
Carrie Peterson, the sports nutritionist for all the pro sports teams in town, never has seen anything like it. In the 10 years she has worked with the Vikings, Kalil is the first offensive lineman she has had to help gain weight. It's quite the reversal from 14 months ago, when the Vikings released their previous franchise left tackle, Bryant McKinnie, in part because he had let himself balloon close to 400 pounds.
"You've seen some of the old-school offensive linemen that we've had and actually dismissed, like Bryant, who just never bought into the [nutrition] program," Peterson said. "But Matt is a totally different guy to work with. He buys into the program because he's been trying to do the right things [nutritionally] for so long. He maintains the weight and takes care of it. The guy is just a machine."
The NFL's 'expansion'
Hall of Famer Art Shell was considered mammoth when he played left tackle for the Raiders from 1968 to 1982. He weighed 265 pounds.
Anthony Munoz, another Hall of Famer, joined the league in 1980, two years after revolutionary rules changes laid the foundation for what would become a passing league. Munoz played until 1992 and is remembered as perhaps the greatest modern-era left tackle in league history. His weight: 278 pounds.