As if adjusting to the NFL isn't hard enough, Dontari Poe has had to do that and give up one of his favorite foods.
Poe, who hails from Memphis, is a barbecue fanatic. So he must've been pretty happy when Kansas City, which has one of the country's finest barbecue scenes, picked him with the 11th overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft.
But after playing last season at 350 pounds, Poe wanted to slim down and boost his stamina. Upon reviewing his diet, he realized he would have to cut off all things barbecue. And it hurt.
“It might be the hardest thing I’ve had to do since I’ve been here,” Poe told the Kansas City Star.
The 22-year-old hasn't had a bite of barbecue since June and is 15-20 pounds slimmer. He reported to Chiefs camp at a trim 335 pounds. Randy Covitz of the Kansas City Star writes that Poe has been showing signs of improvement at training camp and he's been "near-unblockable" over the past week.
Poe had a productive rookie season last year, starting all 16 games and recording 38 tackles. So if he can stay driven and improve on those numbers, he will become a force to be reckoned with.
And what does Poe eating that he's given up barbecue? Lots of protein.
“I eat a lot of eggs in the morning, eat a lot of protein, grilled chicken, grilled fish, stuff like that," Poe said. “I’m trying to cut out the beef and the pork and stay away from the fried foods. And stay away from the barbecue.”
In that case, it would be best for Poe if he doesn't check out this video from former NFL defensive tackle Anthony Adams. It's called Slab City, a spoof of Tyga's Rack City.
