OSU's Brodrick Brown: Becoming a better player includes eating better

Brown believes transforming his body is a step toward being even better in 2011.

“I was getting too heavy,” Brown said. “Everyone was telling me, you're getting a little thick, you're losing your speed.”

So Brown committed to changing his diet. Unhealthy foods and dairy products were out. More baked and grilled meats were in.

“He's been working hard in the offseason. He's really changed his body,” cornerbacks coach Jason Jones said. “He's a lot leaner than he was last year. He's more conscious about what he puts in his body, what he eats.”

Make no mistake, it has not been easy.

“Some days I want to just eat whatever,” Brown said. “Things look good on the training table, and I want to just throw down on it.”

But the 5-foot-9 Brown has resisted the urge to cheat on his diet. He has slimmed to 182 pounds after beginning the 2010 season at 190 pounds.

Brown finished the season tied with Justin Gent as the Cowboys' second-leading tackler with 77 stops in 13 games. But he rarely got to rest with true freshmen Devin Hedgepeth and Justin Gilbert behind him and fellow starter Andrew McGee.