Michael “The Burner” Turner Needed To Burn a Few Pounds

↵↵Michael Turner was one of the most overpowering offensive forces in the NFL in 2008, propelling the Falcons with a rookie quarterback to an 11-5 record and earning four MVP votes in the process. While he was still effective when available in 2009 - the running back’s yards per carry average actually increased compared to the previous year - he was limited in action due to persistent injury. When he left the Week 10 game against Carolina, he had posted an incredible 111 yards on nine carries through not even two quarters. Unfortunately, he only got 13 more chances to touch the ball the rest of the season.↵

↵↵A sprained ankle isn’t necessarily a weight issue, but Turner has said that he held himself back much of the season by being too heavy, a problem he has worked to remedy during the offseason. Though he’s officially listed at 244 lbs., Turner has said he was well above 250 through most of the 2009 season. Now, thanks to sedulous attention to his diet, he has gotten back to the condition he was in his MVP-worthy season of two years ago.↵

↵↵⇥“If you go back and look at some pictures of me from last year at this time, I probably looked big -- a lot bigger than normal,” Turner says sheepishly while kicking back after a recent organized team activity. “I was heavy, too heavy. It was hard for me to overcome.”↵⇥↵⇥Turner didn’t need the photos to know he was well past the 250 pounds that appeared next to his name on the roster. He knew things had changed when he struggled to pull his practice jersey over his midsection.↵⇥

↵↵↵Just don’t go the LenDale White route and take it too far. ↵

↵↵(H/T to ProFootballTalk)↵

↵