Austin Seferian-Jenkins was arrested for drunk driving once in college at Washington, and again last year while playing for the Buccaneers. That second arrest got him cut, and suspended for the first two games of this season.
Now with the Jets, Seferian-Jenkins said he’s had a wakeup call and has been sober for seven months, and he says giving up alcohol has changed his life.
“I’ve never felt as good as I do today,” Seferian-Jenkins writes in the New York Daily News. “When I wake up, I’m excited to go play football and excited to get in the meetings. I’m excited to see my friends. I’m excited to see my teammates. I’m excited to see my coaches. I’m excited to practice. I’m excited for life.”
Seferian-Jenkins says giving up alcohol has been such a lifestyle change that he’s lost 33 pounds and now feels energized about working out and getting ready for the season.
“You start changing your lifestyle and you don’t want to drink,” he writes. “You want to get healthy. I didn’t know what to do with all this free time. I’ll do hot Pilates. I’ll run. I’ll do an extra workout. I’ll go hiking. I’ll go walking around the mall. You got a lot of time in the day. I’d get two or three workouts done by 3 p.m. So, what do I now? I might as well work out again.”
After he serves his suspension, Seferian-Jenkins says he’ll be more ready to go than ever before.