Tigers defensive lineman slimmed down to make bigger impact
The change was evident when O’bryan Goodson stepped into the Billy J. Murphy Football Complex with his Memphis teammates.
The junior defensive tackle walked lighter. His black shirt fit tighter. His smile was even brighter.
Goodson reported to the first day of practice at 280 pounds, a stark change from being 325 as a freshman and 310 at the end of last season.
“I’ve done something that’s not easy for a lot of people to do,” Goodson said Thursday. “But now I’ve stored that in my head, and I feel like I can do anything.
How Goodson changed his diet
The 45-pound weight loss started with Goodson admitting he could be a better player. It started with his diet.
Instead of trips to American Deli or Tokyo Grill, his favorite eating spots, he was eating more baked chicken. Fast food was replaced by home-cooked meals, and he stopped eating after 7 p.m.
“Coming out of my senior year of high school, I was around 275-285 pounds,” Goodson said. “So I felt like if I could be that ‘OB’ again and just get the movement like I was back then and still maintain my strength, I could do a lot of things and help the defense more.”
The diet was his first step. Goodson couldn’t run after surgery for a foot injury suffered in the season ending Birmingham Bowl. Once he was cleared to resume running after missing spring practice, the pounds kept falling off.
By summer workouts, Goodson was leaner and faster during conditioning
drills. When he shared cone drill workouts on his Snapchat, his teammates marveled at his improved agility.
“He always played fast, but I think players who do the little things to set them apart, it’s huge,” senior linebacker Austin Hall said. “He’s obviously doing the things that can make him better and set him apart to improve our defense.
Why Goodson is critical for Tigers’ defense
With 23 starts in 25 career games, Goodson is one of the Tigers’ most important linemen because of his ability to stop the run.
When an injury kept him out of Memphis’ loss to Tulane, the Tigers gave up 318 rushing yards, second only to the 350 yards they allowed to Central Florida in the AAC championship game.
The Tigers are expected to use more four-man fronts under new defensive coordinator Adam Fuller, and Goodson’s added mobility can create more opportunities for pass rushers Bryce Huff, Joseph Dorceus and Everitt Cunningham.
Fuller had envisioned Goodson and Jonathan Wilson being key cogs in the middle of the defensive line. After seeing Goodson for the first time on the field, Fuller was more impressed with Goodson’s dedication to his body.
“We all know that’s hard, so he had to compete with himself to get his weight down,” Fuller said. “I think he’s heavy enough to be impactful in this conference, but the dropped weight will do a lot for his lower legs.
“He’s good at moving, but he’s strong enough and powerful enough to hold the point of attack.”
Goodson’s size compares to that of his favorite player, Aaron Donald. The Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle and two-time AP Defensive Player of the Year is 6-foot-1, 280 pounds.
Goodson said Donald wasn’t his only motivation to change his body.
“I said I wanted to be more explosive. I said I wanted to be faster. And now I’ve gotten to the point where I said I did that,” Goodson said. “Now let’s carry that over into the season.”
You can reach Tigers football beat writer Evan Barnes on Twitter (@Evan_b) or by email at evan.barnes@commercialappeal.com