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Home » Diets that Work » Josh McCown: The Real-Life Diet of the Journeyman Who Has Played in the NFL Since 2002 – GQ

I try to tell young guys that I wish I had gotten into stretching earlier in my career. I think it would have benefited my overall health. But one thing thats allowed me to feel good and move around late in my career is that Ive never really taken time offafter the season, I always hop onto a basketball court and start playing, trying to maintain my twitchiness and athleticism the best I could. I remember spending time with older players early in my career, and they told me the same thing. Its about staying active and not leaving gaps of time. It needs to be active recovery time, basically.

How did you maintain a healthy diet with the unusual travel routine you had going on last season?

When I signed with the Eagles in August, that was a few months after I thought I was done playing. Id been coaching high school ball and working out, but not training to play. I had lost weightfrom 215, my playing weight, to 200. I got to the Eagles and immediately went into the mode of putting weight on. I was doing shakes in the morning, mid-day, and at night, and really stepped up my calorie intake. But I made sure those calories wouldnt hurt my body and were healthy calories. That was probably the first six weeks of the season. It was also a lot of eggs and carbs, but not too many carbs, which tended to cause inflammation for me in previous years.

When I was in Charlotte, my wife would cook, and shes an excellent cook. We try to stay conscious of my health requirements while weve also got three kids in the house, including two growing boys who were trying to gain weight. When I left Philly for Charlotte, Id take shakes and protein bars with me, but it didnt really mess with my meals otherwise.

Tell me about your hoops game. Did you play in high school?

Yeah, from an early age, my dream was to play in the NBA. At one point in high school I tried to quit football and go to basketball, but ended up sticking with football. I do love hoops, though. Other than spending time with my family, I dont know if theres much better than getting to a gym and playing pickup basketball. In college, I flirted with playing on the basketball team, talked to my coaches, but it never fit with the football program. I planned on playing on the Sam Houston State team after my senior season of college football, but then NFL scouts came around and started talking to me about the NFL Combine. So at that point, it just wasnt in the plans.

Im sure youve seen the GIF of you and Sam Darnold running your hands through your hair at the same time? Did you teach him that?

You know what? I think that was just a byproduct of the time we spent together. I dont know if that was intentional, though I did tell him, Hey bro, it doesnt need to look like you just woke up from a nap every second of the day. But that was totally unplanned. I tell you, if we couldve gotten the rest of the offense to sync up like that, we probably wouldve won a few more games.

Want to break any news about whether youre coming back next season?

I havent made a decision yet. Obviously I retired last year and came back, so I dont know if Im going to be making any football announcements anytime soon. Its a process, and my boys are one year older, and all of that is part of my decision.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Real-Life Diet is a series in which GQ talks to athletes, celebrities, and everyone in-between about their diets and exercise routines: what's worked, what hasn't, and where they're still improving. Keep in mind, what works for them might not necessarily be healthy for you.

Larry Daugherty is about to embark on his fourth Iditarodand is following it up by attempting to climb Mount Everest a few weeks later.

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Josh McCown: The Real-Life Diet of the Journeyman Who Has Played in the NFL Since 2002 - GQ

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Home » Diets that Work » Josh McCown: The Real-Life Diet of the Journeyman Who Has Played in the NFL Since 2002 – GQ