Weight problems have plagued Deuce Lutui for much of his NFL career. He once reported to Cardinals camp weighing 396 pounds, and when he signed a free agent deal with the Bengals last year, the contract was voided when he failed the team physical because the medical staff said he was too fat to play.
But that’s in Lutui’s past.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, who coached Lutui in college at USC, says he’s thrilled to have signed Lutui to a contract this offseason, and even more thrilled that Lutui showed up at the team facility looking svelte and fit.
“Deuce Lutui, he is a joy to have out here,” Carroll said. “He has got such a great spirit. He always did. We looked at opportunities to get him on this club just because of that. He looks good. His weight is down -- I mean, way down from where he can be. He’s a vegan, too, now, so he has really made a big turn, if you can imagine.”
The Seahawks aren’t saying exactly how much Lutui weighs -- Carroll answered that question with a joke, saying Lutui weighs 208 pounds -- but if he’s even down to the 365 pounds that he was listed at when he played for Carroll at USC, that would represent progress. Any weight loss beyond that is gravy. Low-calorie vegan gravy.