When we spoke with Garden of Life ® brand ambassador and New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings during preseason training camp, he sounded happy, relaxed and optimistic about the upcoming season. Coming off career-high stats last year with 863 total yards on 195 rushing attempts, he’ s earned the starting spot in the backfield and is expected to be the team’ s primary ball carrier this season. And for those who have any doubts about his ability to stay healthy at an age when many running backs are slowing down, the 31-year-old laughs and insists his best years are ahead of him.
Photo credit Associated Press
“ I did everything I could do in the offseason to prepare for this,” he said.“ I practiced yoga, played my guitar, got massages, wrote poetry and stayed relaxed. I felt like keeping things as stress-free as possible was the best way to get ready for this season.”
The eight-year veteran also stayed in shape by using Garden of Life supplements, including a daily RAW Organic Meal shake.
“ I’ ve had RAW Organic Meal every morning for several years now,” he said.“ I like the coffee and vanilla flavors the best. I mix it with almond milk and throw in a banana, chia seed, flaxseed, peanut butter and some ice. It’ s great for breakfast because it gets me through practice or whatever I have going on in the afternoon.”
Along with following a nutritious diet, Jennings is big on maintaining healthy blood flow and staying pressurized. He naps and sleeps in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, does aquatic work outs in water above his chest, and is not taking any chances when it comes to chiropractors.
“ I went to see a chiropractor a few weeks ago,” Jennings explained.“ He said he was an Eagles fan. I got off the table and left before he said another word.”
In the right hands, Jennings thrives. This year he’ s pumped the Giants should benefit from their third year with the same offensive system and a new head coach, Ben McAdoo, who was the former offensive coordinator. The team also acquired veteran free agent Bobby Rainey and drafted Paul Perkins from UCLA in the offseason, but Jennings knows he’ ll be counted on to carry the workload. If there’ s one thing he’ s learned after years of playing football, it’ s to always be ready to go when your number is called.
“ In high school, I was this chubby kid with glasses and asthma,” he recalled.“ I was on the football team, but I never played and sat on the bench with a can of soda and some candy to enjoy the show. I had a. 6 grade point average and wasn’ t expected to do much of anything.”
Everything changed when his high school team played a local rival in Forest, Virginia, and several college scouts were in the stands. Jennings had his usual spot on the bench when the first string running back went down with an injury. In short order, the second running back got hurt and the third running back limped off the field. Desperate to put anyone in the game the coach looked around for the water boy, but there was only Jennings.
Incredibly, on the first play he ran for a 40-yard touchdown. After that he scored another touchdown and the coach decided it might be good to play him on defense as well, where he proceeded to rack up sacks. After the game, a scout from the University of Tennessee told him he had“ potential,” and needed to work on his grades. Jennings enrolled in a preparatory school, received a college scholarship and never looked back.
“ Something clicked for me that day,” he said.“ I learned that when opportunity presents itself, it’ s too late to prepare for it. You have to always be ready.”
Jennings proved his point in the Giants’ first preseason game against Miami when he scored the team’ s first touchdown of the year on a three-yard run up the middle. And although it was just a preseason game, he celebrated as joyfully as if there was a championship at stake.
“ I’ ve learned to appreciate the moment instead of just the endresult,” he said.“ I’ ve enjoyed training camp this year because I believe we should respect the fact that it is work— the process of personally tending to something meaningful— that germinates fulfillment within us.”
Vol 28 • Extraordinary Health ™ 41