Roy Lopez is hungry…for more wins in 2022. So, the Houston Texans defensive lineman went on a diet.
Heading into Year 2, Lopez set a personal goal to get bigger, faster and stronger. He sat down with Texans Director of Team Wellness Ladd Harris and Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Mike Eubanks to come up with a plan.
"We started from square one and we built from there and we came out every day," Lopez said. "We worked and we changed our eating habits and kind of just made sure we got our vegetables, our proteins, our carbs in and everything like that. The goal was just to be the best shape I can be and play more snaps and be more impactful for the team. And we're not done."
Lopez, who stands 6-2 and weighed 318 pounds as a rookie, looked noticeably leaner by the time he took the field for OTAs. He shed 10 pounds of mostly fat, feeling better than ever. A connoisseur of Mexican cooking, Lopez admits still works cheat meals into his new and improved diet.
"I still I have fun, fun with everything I do, the food, everything," Lopez said. "I don't mind eating bad every now and then. I just want to make sure that this this this sport, this game, this team is my priority. So anything I can do for myself to help the team is the biggest thing."
Last season, Lopez replaced Vincent Taylor in the starting lineup after the veteran DT suffered an ankle injury in Week 1 and underwent surgery. The Texans 2021 sixth-round pick went on to record 31 tackles (19 solo), four tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, two quarterback hits and a fumble recovery in 16 appearances with 15 starts.
"I learned from the vets," Lopez said. "Being able to pass their knowledge down from the past vets we had last year and just being able to grow that way, lead by example and stuff like that, being able to study more film and know exactly what I'm learning, the plays I'm learning. That way when I see it on the film, everything's just faster, you know? So I think that's the biggest thing is I've grown a lot in the classroom, taking care of my body, but really just a lot in the classroom and learning the game, starting fresh and learning the game."
The Texans begin training camp at the Houston Methodist Training Center on Friday, July 29. Rookies will report for camp on July 24, veterans on July 26.
