Cowboy Fans: Remember "Big" Nate Newton? Not anymore...

[SunnySooner]

I saw this on the HBO series "Real Sports". They did a segment about how the numbers of 300+ pound linemen in the NFL has dramatically increased, and how hard it is for those guys when they retire. Without football, many of them skyrocket to 400+ lbs., which has resulted in myriad health problems, and even early death for people like Norman Hand and Frank Warren, Jr.

Nate had a new form of gastric surgery done, and has lost almost 200 lbs. I wouldn't have recognized him, he looks like a completely different person...

http://www.mylapbanddallas.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/nate-poloroids.jpg


http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2XdbIDH0Cwg/TUgiX2CUYtI/AAAAAAAAQY0/O1dQdMwS778/s1600/959tebowspiece678wj4%25282%2529.jpg


Here's a link to the show's site if you're interested. They said the "Hogs" from the Redskins' early 80's teams averaged about 270 lbs. Now you can hardly find a lineman that is under 300. Interesting and sad that the size that earned them a spot in the pro's often ends up destroying their health. They talked with Frank Warren less than a week before he died of a heart attack. He was only in his early 40's and left behind a wife and little kids.

http://www.hbo.com/real-sports-with-bryant-gumbel/index.html#/real-sports-with-bryant-gumbel/episodes/0/166-episode/synopsis/january-on-real-sports.html

[texaspokieokie]

i've seen Nate on tv recently & (of course) didn't recognize him. the voice was very familiar.

seems like a totally different (in appearance) person. like an ordinary "joe blow".

[KantoSooner]

Tony Casillas seems to have done an admirable job of slimming down if those casino ads are anything to judge by.

[sooneron]

I saw Tony on a gameday @ O'Connell's a few years back. I think it was around 02 and he looked fit as all hell. Like, he could suit up and play LB or something...
He was really cool, just hanging out and taking it all in, we talked for a minute or two. Nice guy.

[SunnySooner]

Yeah, my hubby got to meet Tony in Iraq when he, Switzer, Little Joe and Boz came over for a USO football thingy. He got to take a bunch of pics with them, and I couldn't believe Tony--he looked better than he did in college. Hubba hubba. ;) :D

Seems like the college guys these days are in better shape for their weight than the old guys were. Even the 300 pounders are big, but don't seem to have the huge bellies hanging out under their jerseys like Nate did. Hopefully that will translate to better health for them after football.

[OhU1]

Tony Casillas was not a massive pile of jello like a lot of modern players. I saw him in person at the gym shortly after he was drafted in the NFL and he looked fit.

It will never happen, but if the NFL actually cared about the players there would be an upper weight limit, and strict steroid, and HGH testing. To compete a player has no choice but to bulk out to dangerous levels.

[Leroy Lizard]

http://www.hbo.com/real-sports-with-bryant-gumbel/index.html#/real-sports-with-bryant-gumbel/episodes/0/166-episode/synopsis/january-on-real-sports.html

Eeeeewwww!! It's a Bryant Gumbel page.

[ouduckhunter]

That's amazing! Back in the day in Dallas, the local news always did segments on the Cowboys. They would follow them around when they were out eating breakfast, etc., and Nate was always one of the star attractions. He could eat more in one meal than I could in a week. I'm really glad to see that he is taking care of himself now. It is amazing though how he looks like a normal person without all that extra weight on him.

[unbiasedtruth]

duh.... you lose weight too if you had to give up weed like he had to after running into trouble twice hauling 300+ pounds of weed.....

[SunnySooner]

I know, Duck, that's what I thought too--doesn't look like someone who could play on the Oline in the NFL, huh? He said if he hadn't had the surgery and become addicted to working out (often 3 hours/day), he'd be at the fridge and in his recliner, eating all day. Just a huge appetite, and years and years of eating like that, impossible to just turn it off when the football goes away.

[AlbqSooner]

Mike Vaughn was an Olineman at OU in the 80s. 6'5" 275. They called him U.S.S. Vaughn because he was SOOOOO big. Nowdays, he would be a linebacker.

[Leroy Lizard]

Mike Vaughn was an Olineman at OU in the 80s. 6'5" 275. They called him U.S.S. Vaughn because he was SOOOOO big. Nowdays, he would be a linebacker.

I remember when Jon Phillips started for us, and he weighed over 300 lb. I mean, 300 lb?!?!?! And weighing 300 lb turned The Fridge Perry into a legend.