At a UGA Football media day last month, head coach Mark Richt commented on the progress made by junior wide receiver Chris Conley, who had a breakout 2012 season and figures to be one of the team’s centerpieces in 2013. “Chris is a very, very conscientious guy,” Richt said. “He’s a hardworking guy. We’ve got a few guys in our program I’d call workaholics, and he’s one of them.”
But that kind of hard work takes calories, and Dallas, GA native Conley, an avid guitarist in his spare time, requires a lot of them. “We eat a ton,” he tells Flagpole, “and when we get closer and closer to the season, we eat a ton of the same thing.”
As you’ll read below, it’s not uncommon for players like Conley to double or triple up on the amount of food a non-sportsman might eat for any given meal. Still, Conley says, the younger guys eat even more. “We have guys who go to Subway, order three foot-longs, eat two there and take one back to their room.”
For college football players, summertime provides only a partial vacation. “Summer break always seems like it is going to be a time when everything slows down,” Conley says. “But just like the last couple [years] before, [I was] on the run with a variety of things and training for the upcoming season.”
It’s the last part that ultimately guides his dietary decisions. “I have gotten to the point where I try my best to put the right fuel into my body,” he says, “so that I can get everything done that I need to do.”
While also navigating a hectic preseason training schedule, Conley recently took the time to chronicle five days of his eating habits for Flagpole. We can only imagine what he’s eating now that the season has started. Read on below. [Gabe Vodicka]
Monday
For breakfast, I had Froot Loops cereal with 2 percent milk. Since I usually don’t have to wake up as early in the summer, I try to take advantage of a little more sleep. Instead of having a huge breakfast, I have my first big meal for lunch.
At lunch on Monday, I had four scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese alongside a salad and grilled chicken. My salad was a simple green salad with lettuce, mozzarella cheese and jalapeños, which is my usual. I think those two things pretty much took care of my protein and vegetable needs to get the day rolling.
A footlong Mongoose sandwich from Subway—and another six-inch Mongoose—took care of my dinner. The Mongoose is basically two grilled chicken breasts with pepper jack cheese, bacon and jalapeños. I stick with wheat bread on my subs, topped with lettuce, mustard and jalapeños.
My standard drink at all meals is two cups of Powerade and one cup of water.
Tuesday
I started the day again with some cereal, and also ate some granola Tuesday morning.
For lunch, I had another four eggs the same way, and then had nachos and wheat pasta. The nachos had ground beef, black beans, queso and salsa on them. I put Alfredo sauce and a little marinara on all of the pasta I make.
I cooked my own supper of jambalaya. I used the Zatarain’s brand—spicy is the only way to go. I had a couple Golden Oreos after dinner, which is also kind of a routine for dessert, or for a snack.
Wednesday
I didn’t eat any breakfast Wednesday, which I hate doing and can always tell I didn’t do by about mid-morning.
When lunch came around, I finished four more eggs and then had a salad and more wheat pasta. There is some repetition in what I eat, but I have learned what my body needs to perform on, and I try and stick to that regimen.
At dinner, I had a burrito and nacho chili dip. Dinner was all homemade in my room with a can of chili, ground beef and shredded cheese.
Thursday
I got back on the breakfast train this morning, and had another bowl of cereal. Again, when I get to sleep later than I usually do, this is about all I need before lunch.
You can guess one of the items I had for lunch: four eggs. Then I added a grilled chicken sandwich from the UGA dining hall and wheat pasta.
I went with a couple friends to Chili’s for dinner, and I had the Triple Dipper. This is a combination of Southwestern egg rolls, boneless hot wings and Big Mouth Bites, which are basically four mini-burgers with layers of bacon, American cheese, sautéed onions and ranch. Those three things are all about appetizer-sized.
Friday
I woke up and had more cereal for breakfast, before having what has become a routine lunch in my world: four eggs and a salad.
I then finished my day with a footlong Italian B.M.T. sub from Subway. This sandwich had Genoa salami, spicy pepperoni and Black Forest ham. I got lettuce, mustard and jalapeños, on wheat bread.
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