Former Detroit Lions Scott Mitchell and Damien Woody will be contestants on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” and in Mitchell’s case, he’s really ballooned.
The 16th season of the show premiers Sept. 11 and is sports themed. All the contestants have an athletic background, though you’d hardly know it now.
Mitchell (pictured above), who played 11 seasons in the NFL, is the most notable athlete among the contestants. The former quarterback lists himself as a bill collector living in Utah and his starting weight at 366 pounds. Here’s what it says about him in his contestant profile:
His biggest motivation for going on the show was seeing his dad die of obesity-related causes early this year and knowing he could be headed down the same path if he doesn’t change his life. Now 46 years old and 366 pounds, Mitchell has sleep apnea and high blood pressure. Weight has been an issue since age 35 due to a busy life and poor diet. With five kids ranging in age from 11 to 21, he wants to be there for his family and is ready to embrace a healthy lifestyle. When he loses the weight, he says he wants to look amazing in clothes and be physically active.
[Also see: Lomas Brown admits he missed block on purpose to get Scott Mitchell hurt]
Woody, who weighed well over 300 pounds as an offensive lineman during his 12-year NFL career, is an analyst for ESPN and lists his starting weight as 388 pounds. Here’s his story:
Since retiring from football in 2010, less activity and the passing of his mother and grandfather in the past three years all contributed to additional weight gain. Now 36 years old, 388 pounds and married to his high school sweetheart, Woody struggles to keep up with his four daughters and three sons, ranging in age from two to 15. He came on the show to regain his health and sees it as an opportunity to compete not only against others, but also himself. He has lost friends he played with in the NFL far too young, and he doesn’t want to be another statistic and former NFL player gone too soon due to weight-related issues. Once he loses the weight, Woody looks forward to living a long healthy life with his wife and kids and also looks forward to clothes shopping at other places besides Big & Tall stores.
Woody was always a big man, so the weight gain isn’t nearly as noticeable as it is in Mitchell’s case. I mean I never would have recognized the guy. He’s added almost 50 percent of his playing weight. It’s alarming. And it’s a good thing he’s going to try fixing it. Luckily for him, like Rulon Gardner taught us, no amount of weight is too great to overcome.
H/T Free Press
