Off-season training key to staying healthy in the NFL

PROVO — Chad Lewis loves playing football.

What he doesn't love is the punishment he typically absorbs after a game.

"It's like going through 20 car wrecks," said Lewis, an Orem native who is a tight end for the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles.

"It's not very fun. You get pretty hammered. I'm putting my body through a lot of abuse, cracking heads every day. That's why there is such a need to stay in shape year-round," he said. "There is a need to strengthen your muscles, your tendons, your ligaments, to have your whole body working correctly, so that you can recover."

For professional football players like Lewis and Ben Cahoon, a wide receiver for the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes, there is no such thing as an off-season.

The pair of Utah County residents, and former Brigham Young University stars, are two of the hardest-working guys in pro sports.

"Some people in our business, in the NFL and CFL, can get away with not working out," Cahoon said. "They're naturally gifted. They're kind of freaks of nature. But I know I can't do that, and I think Chad is the same way. We can't just be as good as the next guy, we've got to be better. The off-season is when we get whatever advantage we can. We know a lot of guys are sleeping in and living the high life. We can't get away with it."

As part of their rigorous training regimen, once a week Lewis and Cahoon visit the Utah Valley Sport Acceleration Center, which is part of the new Physical Therapy, Spine and Sports Center that opened in November at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center.

Both men are involved in a program there that is designed to help their performance in speed, agility, strength, coordination and endurance.

While Lewis and Cahoon will never be confused for the fastest athletes in the world, they believe they can improve their speed. Cahoon and Lewis arose early Wednesday morning and went to the Utah Valley Sport Acceleration Center to run on a high-speed treadmill that goes up to 30 miles per hour.

"If I don't run fast, I'm going to fall right through the back window," Lewis said. "Basically, the rubber meets the road in here."

"It's cutting-edge technology," said Cahoon, who has played six seasons in the CFL. "This builds speed. That's the No. 1 thing in this game and in athletics as a whole. All people care about nowadays is speed, whether it's baseball, football or basketball. It's the name of the game. That's why we're here, trying to eke out a few more years out of our careers."