Dane Fletcher’s becoming a better linebacker, even if he’s not being as good of a son.
The Patriots’ third-year inside linebacker had to change his dietary habits, which included laying off the french fries at his father’s burger joint back home in Montana.
“Two things I learned from a nutritionist were no more Chinese food and no more fries,” Fletcher told Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. “That was kind of my downfall. I was like, ‘Oh, shoot.’ Once I started doing that, I leaned up quite a bit. That helped me.”
The 25-year-old Fletcher’s working with the starters at the moment, with Brandon Spikes still on the shelf after offseason knee surgery.
And he said taking his offseason nutrition and workouts more seriously has helped him prepare for the assignment.
“The older you get, the more you have to pay attention,” Fletcher said. “You start to get 25 and older, so you just start to key in on your own body. You start to learn more and more what works for you and what doesn’t. I really pay attention to that, and I really held true to my diet this offseason and working out consistently.
“The more and more you’re around professionals, the more you pick up. ‘This is what you do? That’s not a bad idea.’ I didn’t even know a certain kind of food or a certain kind of workout did that for your body. Learn more and more each day. I’m open to anything right now.”
If he can maintain that discipline back home at Burger Bob’s without offending his family, he’ll be in better shape on and off the field.