Basketball coach Phil Jackson was known for often giving his players books he thought might have an impact on them.
Calgary Colts head coach John Stevens tried the same thing with Curtis Gravelle last fall with a book called The Carb Sensitivity Program. The book changed the young defensive lineman.
“Sixty pounds-ish, give or take,” said the 19-year-old Welland, Ontario native, who went from 360 pounds to 300 over the winter.’
Opponents will see a new person when Gravelle (pictured right at new weight) takes to the field with his teammates in
Edmonton this Sunday to face the Huskies and Wildcats for an exhibition tuneup. The Prairie Football Conference regular season opens with the Colts visiting the Regina Thunder August 18.
“My last season wasn’t the best season and I just decided to drop some weight to improve my football and lifestyle,” said Gravelle, who is entering his second season with the Colts and has two years of eligibility remaining after this one.
“It’s made a significant difference. Obviously I feel a lot lighter and a lot more mobile and quicker off the ball.”
The Carb Sensitivity Program advises readers to keep a journal of what they eat and how they feel after ingesting food in an attempt to isolate what works for them and what doesn’t.
Along with changing his diet, Gravelle also hit the gym two weeks after the end of the 2012, working with King Football under eyes of Taylor Altilo, the head performance coach in Calgary.
Gravelle stuck to the plan and is glad he did.
“I didn’t lose any muscle or strength,” he said. “I’d say I gained muscle and strength.”
Gravelle is a full-time Calgarian now and works as a framer. He came to Calgary for spring camp in 2012 after looking at a couple of junior programs in Ontario and liked what he saw with the program Stevens was building in his first season as the Colts’ head coach.
“No one was as competitive or as serious as the Colts spring camp,” Gravelle said. “It opened my eyes as to what Coach Stevens can do for me.”
Gravelle dressed for every game as a rookie, saw lots of action and got some starts at nose tackle.
“He really worked hard,” said Stevens, who is also the Colts’ defensive coordinator. “What he’s really looking for now is adding a lot more mobility and that in turn will translate into better production.
“He was a very solid player for us last year. Halfway through the season he and (tackle) Bryan Summers were the primary run stoppers for us up front.”
Summers is back with the Colts again in 2013. Also back for his final year on Stevens’ defensive line is Jonathan Grossbernt. Vic Fayemi, who played in 2011 but did not play last year, has returned, as have Jason Orey and Mitch Bec. Gregg Hannah moves over from the offensive line.
Eric Chamberland is back for his second season. Austin Donaldson will stay on the defensive line after moving from linebacker in 2012.
“We’re quite deep (on the defensive line),” Stevens said.
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