After signing a five-year, $43.5 million contract with the Houston Texans this offseason, All-Pro Running Back Arian Foster has declared himself a vegan, eliminating all meat products from his diet.
That seems to be working for Foster who is on pace to be the third fastest running back in NFL history to gain 5000 yards from scrimmage according to Nick Scurfield of houstontexans.com.
Nutritionists, analysts and fans have continued to doubt the athlete’s lifestyle change, but Foster stands by his decision. “I didn’t just blindly stop eating meat. I know what I’m doing,” Foster told Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports.
After realizing he never felt good after eating large, meaty meals, Foster began the vegan transition by limiting himself to red meat once every six months.
“Everybody cares what I eat now,” said Foster. “They didn’t care before, but they do now. Everybody is a nutritionist now and they’re an expert on protein. Every day, every single day somebody knows something new to do. I just smile and say, ‘OK.’”
Foster believes the new diet will help him establish a healthier body, propelling improvement from an excellent 2011 season in which he compiled 1,224 rushing yards, 53 receptions, and 12 total touchdowns in only 13 games.
He has 4633 yards in 37 games, which is more than all of the NFL’s top-ten leaders in yards from scrimmage. Through 37 games, Emmitt Smith had 3368 yards from scrimmage, and Walter Payton had 3974.
His parents taught him to “question everything” as a child and he continues the same train of thought today, offering deep thought to all life’s options.
“I saw a documentary in high school that really turned me on to getting aware of it… I did some research with doctors who in their world are considered kind of radical. To me, it’s radical we have heart disease and 12-year-old kids with diabetes.”
Days before Foster and the Houston Texans take the field in the land of pulled pork and prime rib, the question remains: can the Pro-Bowler’s body endure the carnivorous hits over the course of a full season?
Texans General Manager Rick Smith is supportive of Foster’s vegan diet, but with Super Bowl XLVII aspirations, teammate Brian Cushing has asserted his concern. “I had a long conversation with him about that. I told him, ‘If this doesn’t work, I’m going to kick your ass,’” Cushing said. “We have a good relationship, but I told him this better be right. We have a lot riding this year.”
