Purdue Running Back Dylan Downing Drops Weight With At-Home Cooking
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Dylan Downing's go-to order at Panda Express was a plate of orange chicken with a side of fried rice. But that was before he started cooking at home so he could shed some pounds before the 2022 college football season.
Downing, a junior running back who is entering his second season with the Boilermakers after transferring from UNLV, cut down on calories and watched his weight drop this offseason. With a more agile frame, he is ready to contribute more in the backfield for Purdue.
"There's no grease, there's no fried food, and it's noticeable," Purdue running backs coach Chris Barclay said of Downing's body transformation. "He's moving with a lot more quickness and twitch, and he looks faster."
When Purdue took on Tennessee in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl at the end of last season, Downing said he weighed 227 pounds. Since then, he's dropped to 210 pounds without seeing a loss of strength and power.
Playing at both running back and full back a year ago, Downing was thrust into a bigger role in the offense after starting ball carrier Zander Horvath was forced to miss time due to an injury. He appeared in all 13 games, carrying the ball 44 times for 178 yards and a touchdown.
Motivated to increase his production in his second year with the Boilermakers, at-home cooking has benefited the native of Carmel, Indiana, both on and off the field.
"It gives me something to look forward to at the end of the day," Downing said. "I get to think, go to Walmart or wherever to get my groceries and put it all together. It's like Ratatouille when he's making his dish, that's what it feels like."
It takes a certain amount of discipline to cut out things like red meat from your diet. Downing has embraced the challenge of seeking out healthy ingredients even if it means he can't whip up a pan-seared steak before sinking into his couch in front of the television quite as much.
Though his cooking skills are still improving, Downing would put himself against any of his teammates in a battle of flavor. Purdue could be looking at its own version of "Top Chef" if the competition starts to heat up throughout the 2022 season.
"I put myself up there, but I know Eric Miller is a really good baker," Downing said. "So I might have to put him on the cookies and everything, and then see how they like my steak."
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.