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After retirement, plenty of NFL players are able to explore passions that they never had time for during their playing careers. Some go into media careers, others open their own businesses, and still more find myriad other ways to enjoy their post-playing days.
For a group of three former Green Bay Packers, a shared love of wine helped form a friendship that has lasted over a decade, and creating their own label — with an assist from a former teammate — is now their fun side project.
Those three former players were all offensive linemen, a group more often known for their love of food than fine wine. But “love” is probably an exaggeration for many of the men who man the front lines in the NFL. Eating as much food as linemen do is incredibly difficult on a body, and it’s no surprise that these players struggle with health problems while they’re playing.
It also should come as no surprise that when their careers are over, the number on the scale plummets quickly.
Take a run through today’s OL-focused Cheese Curds (perhaps a particularly fitting name for this post today) as we examine how numerous these former linemen enjoy their retirement.
Three Fat Guys: How a trio of ex-Packers formed a bond and started a wine label – The Athletic
Three former Packers linemen were drafted together in 2006 and formed a strong bond. Tony Moll was raised in wine country and provides the brains and inspiration behind the operation, while Daryn College and Jason Spitz round out the bunch. But they wouldn't be here today without the help of Charles Woodson.
How NFL offensive linemen escape the 5,000-calorie lunch and transform in retirement | ESPN.com
Those three have shifted their focus to wine, but they and other linemen need to change their entire dietary routine after they retire. During Joe Thomas' playing days, he had constant heartburn from the quantity and types of food he had to consume. Then he lost 60 pounds within six months of retiring. Here are the stories from him and several other former linemen about their ordeals.
MT5: Packers, NFL face difficult decisions | Packers.com
In his monthly Q&A, Mark Murphy addresses the challenges facing the Packers and the NFL as a whole as training camps are set to open in about three weeks.
Should Packers be interested in a trade for Browns TE David Njoku? | Packers Wire
Njoku reportedly wants out of Cleveland, perhaps because the team signed Austin Hooper and drafted Harrison Bryant this offseason. Remember that Njoku is the player Cleveland drafted when the Packers traded out of pick #29 in 2017, moving down to grab Kevin King.
Vehicle with stolen plates crashes into restaurant on Edmonton’s 118 Avenue | Globalnews.ca
It's a pretty brutal scene. Hopefully Pho King Edmonton (yes, that's the real name of the restaurant) has good insurance.