Jaguars defensive tackle Terrance Knighton is getting some hard truths from the team’s coaching staff: He’s too fat to succeed in the NFL.
The 25-year-old Knighton, who’s listed at 336 pounds but reportedly weighs considerably more than that, had his worst season as a pro in 2011, and Jaguars defensive coordinator Mel Tucker says he has leveled with Knighton about the fact that he needs to lose weight.
“I’m not going to tell you anything I haven’t told Terrance,” Tucker told Alex Marvez and Jim Miller on Sirius XM NFL Radio. “He knows this is put-up-or-shut-up time right now. He knows he can be a dominant player if he keeps his weight under control. Now is the perfect time to get that right. He knows that, ‘If I’m going to be the player I need to be and can be and have the respect of my teammates and coaches, there are certain things I have to do on and off the field.’ Weight management is one of those things. That’s a major part of it.”
Knighton should benefit this year from having a full off-season conditioning program, whereas last year he was left to his own devices -- and his own kitchen -- during the lockout. Tucker says he believes Knighton will work hard to take the weight off.
“I believe he’s fully committed to doing that this out-of-season, and we’re going to help him with that,” Tucker said. “That’s the great part about it: Coaches and players working hand-in-hand to help this football team. That’s what it’s going to take. He’s fully committed.”