SWM Seeking Productive O-Line With Great Protection. Please, No Fatties.

by Sean Keeley on Mar 19, 2008 12:40 PM EDT

Mitch Browning comes to Syracuse with a history of prolific offenses with dominant running games. Everyone knows that to accomplish that, you need a strong offensive line that's running on grit and determination. Certainly not one that's running on Hawaiian Punch and Fiery Habanero Doritos.

"His exact words were, 'I'm not going to play fat people,'" said [sophomore offensive tackle Jonathan] Meldrum of Browning's pronouncement.

Seems Browning has instituted a "Biggest Loser" campaign in the off-season to get out husky linemen down to a more playable size. It seems to have worked as all of the linemen are in or around the 305 range that he asked for instead of the 330-340 range they were working at previously. I'm not entirely sure if the folks on Biggest Loser would see the SU lineman's current weights of 300-310 lbs as "great" but I guess you have to adjust your view.

Regardless, the process has been good, especially for Meldrum:

"The way I'm going right now, I've completely changed my whole lifestyle. I went to a nutritionist. I got on a weight loss plan. I hit the pool once a day. I ride the bike once a day. So I get about two workouts ... and whatever extra workouts I get with Coach Hicks or anything like that."

Every so often you get a horror story out of spring practice about a player collapsing (or worse). Whatever we can do to prevent that from ever happening here at SU is fine by me. Oh and if it improves out yards-per-carry as well, that's nice too.

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