Former Baltimore Ravens C Matt Birk is now a chiseled 235 pounds

Former Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Matt Birk was one of the best centers in the National Football League. He appeared in every game for the Ravens from 2009 through 2012, helping the team win a Super Bowl title last February. After winning his first championship, Birk retired from the NFL. From there, he began losing weight like a mofo.

According to the Ravens official website, Birk is aiming to become the next Body By Visalus cover model. He has lost 75 pounds since he retired eight months ago, bringing him down to about 235 from his playing weight of 310. Fans who would like to see Birk on the cover of The Challenge Magazine 2014 can vote here. Body By Visalus, the company that runs the publication, has a mission of trying to end obesity.

“I don’t really think of myself as a model. Maybe a glove model,” Birk joked. “I never thought I would pose for a picture with my shirt off. But I wanted to show people that it can be done and that we’re all in this together.”

The 37-year-old said he knew it would not be healthy to remain as heavy as he was during his NFL career.

“I wasn’t going to go to Chipotle and get two burrito bowls at 9:30 at night anymore,” he said. “All I knew was being big. Now I’m not so big and I’m loving it. I think I’ve really developed a lifestyle that I can sustain now. I feel great physically, and I’ve got tons of energy. It really has changed my life that I used to know.”

Good for him. Some players go the opposite after retirement, ballooning into out of shape middle-aged men because they are no longer working out.