The third season of the NFL Alumni's nationally acclaimed "Huddle Up: Let’s Talk Obesity" campaign is underway across the country.
This campaign is geared toward creating awareness and educating alumni as well as the general public about how excess weight can negatively impact overall health and that there is a path toward better long-term wellness.
The Huddle Up program includes the second NFL Alumni Wellness Challenge with Pro Football Hall of Famer Dick Butkus and Super Bowl XXV MVP Ottis Anderson serving as this year’s Senior Player Advisors.
Three of the primary ambassadors for the 2022 “Huddle Up: Let’s Talk Obesity” program are five-time Super Bowl champion assistant coach Romeo Crennel; two-time Super Bowl champion and defensive tackle Tony Casillas; and Super Bowl XL MVP and wide receiver Hines Ward.
"I’ve put on some weight and finally said enough is enough," says Ward, who recently was named head coach of the 2023 XFL team in San Antonio. "I went to the doctor, luckily, and during my physical we started talking about high cholesterol and being pre-diabetic. That’s something that hit home to me because I’ve lost some family and friends to diabetes.
"It was a wake-up call for me to make a life change as far as eating right, exercising more and understanding that obesity is a medical condition, not a character flaw. A lot of people are just scared to go to the doctor because they don’t want to hear the negative things. But, luckily, for me, I did."
The NFL Alumni Wellness Challenge and Huddle Up: Let’s Talk Obesity are made possible through the support of Novo Nordisk.
This interview originally appeared on NFLAlumni.org.
The NFLA consists of 42 alumni chapters with a membership of over 3,500 former players, coaches, team executives, cheerleaders and avid fans. The organization raises money for the Player Care Foundation and local youth charities. Golf plays an important role in helping fund NFLA charities. Each year, more than 150 members participate in the NFLA's annual Super Bowl of Golf.
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