Jets QB Sam Darnold ate better this offseason, which meant 'not having In-N-Out every single day'
Sam Darnold is entering a crucial third year in his career, and that meant making some changes.
First of all, it sounds like he had a diet that is not conducive to being a finely tuned professional athlete.
It turns out Darnold really enjoys his In-N-Out Burger. Darnold was born and raised in California, where the popular West Coast-based burger chain is most prominent.
Darnold gave it up, and it sounds like that’ll take a big chunk out of In-N-Out’s profit margin.
Sam Darnold’s preferred In-N-Out order
Darnold was probably just using a figure out speech when he mentioned how often he ate at In-N-Out. Still, it’s an impressive commitment.
“I’m making sure I’m not eating whatever I want to eat. I’m not having In-N-Out every single day and making sure I’m eating good food,” Darnold said, according to the New York Post. “Putting the right things in my body, that’s a huge part of it. I’m working out four or five days a week. I don’t have to worry about how much work I put in. It’s really about what I’m putting in my body.”
Every single day, Sam? It’s hard to blame him for being hooked on the burgers. Darnold told reporters his order, which is “Number 1, grilled onions, Neapolitan shake. Easy.” (For the uninitiated, the No. 1 is a double-double, which is two patties and two slices of cheese.)
But yeah, that’s a lot of burgers, shakes and fries for an athlete.
Darnold facing big season
Darnold talked about his workouts, too, keeping his lower body strong and his upper body flexible. Part of the changes in the offseason routine are just maturing — Darnold turned 23 years old in June — but there might be some urgency involved too.
Darnold’s rookie year was up and down after the Jets made him the third pick of the 2018 draft, but there were clear positives. His second season is tough to gauge because he dealt with mononucleosis early in the season and that caused him to miss games. He did finish fairly well.
Still, it’s not like there’s a lot of league-wide confidence that Darnold will be a star. Opinions change fast in the NFL, even for a 23-year-old who was once considered an elite prospect. So this is a big year for Darnold. Maybe if he plays well enough he can have some offseason In-N-Out to celebrate.
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