New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese admitted that signing a guard, center and punter was not a ‘sexy’ move for a franchise that missed the playoffs twice in a row.
NFL fans are always keen for their teams to make splashy acquisitions and the 24/7 news cycle amps up the pressure as personalities debate who won the offseason before a down has been played.
GettyWeatherford was once described as the ‘NFL’s fittest player’[/caption]
GettyWeatherford has since become a public speaker and entrepreneur[/caption]
Instagram @weatherford5The former athlete still takes care of his body[/caption]
Reese decided he was happy with his roster and brought in some help in key positions, including punter Steve Weatherford.
The GM nailed his assessment.
Special teamers don’t often win Super Bowls, but Weatherford was not your average punter.
The former New York Jet featured in the December 2011 issue of Men’s Fitness, which detailed his ‘maniacal’ workout regime.
He could reportedly squat 475 pounds and bench press almost 40.
At 6ft 2in and 210 pounds, teammates described him as the ‘strongest player pound-for-pound’ on the roster and he had just 5 percent body fat.
Weatherford had already made an impression on the New England Patriots while on the Jets as he pulled off a textbook tackle on punt returner Julian Edelman in a 28-21 victory in 2011.
“Steve Weatherford was a punter, but he was built like a safety. 6’2”, 210,” the Pats Hall of Famer captioned an Instagram clip of him recounting the tale to Rich Eisen.
But the worst was yet to come after Weatherford’s move across New Jersey.
Edelman’s Pats went 13-3 in the regular season and were strongly tipped to win Super Bowl XLVI against the Giants.
Weatherford forced Tom Brady to start three drives inside his 10-yard line — a Super Bowl record that would have been four but for a bad bounce.
Eli Manning set his own record by completing his first nine passes and inspiring a 21-17 victory.
He won his second Super Bowl MVP after confirming his status as Brady’s kryptonite, which may lead to him joining brother Peyton in the Hall of Fame.
Manning’s first win over Brady took a huge assist from Michael Strahan. The second was from Weatherford, who discussed his ‘greatest’ game at a Become The CEO Of Your Life event he put on in Jersey in 2011.
“So it was Feb 5, 2012, Indianapolis, Indiana, playing Tom Brady, I had the best game I’ve ever had in my life — I had four punts, every single one was inside the 10-yard line; the 2-yard line, 6-yard line, 8-yard line,” he began.
“The very next play after my first punt was a sack in the Super Bowl, and I know I’m going through this really quickly but the thing that I want you guys to understand is, this was 46 miles from my hometown.
NFL’s Greatest……
Ranking the top 10……
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Tight ends of all-time – How does Travis Kelce compare?
“I’m in my seventh year in the NFL. I’m about to play, not only in front of my dad…grandma’s there, grandpa’s there, mom, my kids, everybody that I care about, 124 million people watching on TV, I had the greatest game of my life.
“To the point, at halftime, [NBC commentators] Cris Collinsworth and Al Michaels were having a conversation, and Michaels said ‘Cris, I don’t think I’ve ever said this before, but if we’re voting for Super Bowl MVP at halftime, I’d give it to the punter, Steve Weatherford.’ I’m so glad they didn’t have TVs on in the locker room — I would’ve had to change my pants, that’s how shocked I was.
“Because I’m a punter, guys. I’ve played so many games where it really didn’t matter if I was on the field or not, but this was the biggest game of all time. And when I was called upon, I had my greatest performance.”
Weatherford was cut by the Giants in 2014 — an unpopular move with some fans — and retired a year later after a brief spell back with the Jets.
“He has been an exceptional human being in what he has contributed to the New York Giants on the football field and what he has done in the community when he represents (the team),” said then-head coach Tom Coughlin.
The Crown Point, Indiana, native has since become a motivational speaker and entrepreneur with a huge social media presence.
It was in that guise that he appeared on Logan Paul‘s Impaulsive podcast in May to discuss his approach to life.
He revealed that as a skinny teenager, he wrote down his life goal to be on the cover of Real Talk.
“When I was 14 years old I was 108 pounds so I was always like super fascinated and really, really driven to become a pro athlete,” he said.
Weatherford hit the weight room and achieved his goals but despite lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy, admitted he struggled to find a sense of fulfilment which contributed to an addiction to pain medication.
“It’s hard when if you win you give the credit to the rest of your teammates and then when you lose you take extreme ownership of yourself and that’s what really drove me to drugs because I always wanted to win,” he added.
“Now as an adult I’m starting to figure it out, really the reason I was driven with ambition and drive had a lot to do with seeking my dad’s approval.
“Now I’m 36 years old and I’m a father and I’m getting an opportunity to speak to other fathers.”
Weatherford, who has six children with his childhood sweetheart and wife Laura, has taken back control of his life and is using his experiences to help inspire others.
He regularly appears on podcasts and TV to discuss his faith, fitness regime, mental health and tips for success.
Not bad for an undrafted free agent.
Steve Weatherford workout
Here’s how to train like the NFL’s fittest man…
From an interview with TRAIN Magazine
Day 1 – Lower Body A
Exercise Sets + Reps
Decline Crunch (or Roman Chair sit-up) 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps
Front barbell squat 3-4 sets of 4-6 reps
Dumbbell lunge 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Leg press 4 sets of 8-10 reps
Leg extension 2 sets of 10 reps
Seated leg curl 2 sets of 10 reps
Standing calf raise 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 2 – Upper Body A
Exercise Sets + Reps
Hanging leg raises 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps
Incline dumbbell press 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Dumbbell bench press 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Dumbbell shoulder press 3 sets of 8-10 reps
One-arm side lateral raise 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Weighted bench dips 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Overhead dumbbell triceps extension 3 sets of 8-10reps
Concentration curls 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 3 – Lower Body B
Exercise Sets + Reps
Side bridge 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps each
Front barbell squat 3-4 sets of 4-6 reps
Power Clean 3 sets of 3-5 reps
Deficit sumo dumbbell deadlift 3 sets of 8
Dumbbell snatch 3-4 sets of 4-6 reps
Dumbbell scissor jumps 3 sets of 6-8 reps, each side
Leg extention 2 sets of 10 reps
Seated leg curls 2 sets of 10 reps
Standing calf raise 3 sets of 12-15
Day 4 – Upper Body B
Exercise Sets + Reps
Decline Crunch 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps each
Weighted pullup 4 sets of 8-12 reps
Lat pulldown 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Seated cable row 3 sets of 8-10
Biceps circuit 6 sets of 8-10 reps
Upright barbell row 2 sets of 8-10 reps
Barbell shrug 2 sets of 8-10 reps
Single-leg box jump 4 sets of 10 reps each
