If Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell looks a lighter this year in training camp, it’s because he is. The Michigan State product revealed recently in an interview that he currently weighs 225 pounds.
Bell did note, however, that he started to lose weight towards the end of last season and that in doing so, he felt quicker.
While Bell says he got down to 230 pounds while training for the 2013 NFL Combine, he admitted that he was a big guy during his junior year of college and that he weighed around 240-245 pounds.
“When I was at Michigan State, I guess I didn’t realize when I was heavy, I wasn’t as quick anymore,” said Bell. “I was still quick, but not as quick as I could be.”
Bell hopes that him being leaner and quicker results in him breaking more big runs for the Steelers this year. As a rookie, Bell had four runs that went for 20 yards or more, but when you stack him against the other running backs in the league that carried the football 223 times or more, only fellow rookie Eddie Lacy of the Green Bay Packers had fewer explosive runs.
“That’s what the goal was, to break more of the long runs,” said Bell. “When the opportunity’s there, rather than having an eight yard gain, try to make in to a 70 yard gain. That’s the difference. Two steps and making a guy miss and be able run away from everybody.”
During the offseason, Bell worked out in Florida with trainer Pete Bommarito and he likes what he accomplished.
“I got in the best shape of my life over the course of the summer because I knew where I needed to get,” said Bell. “I got my feet a little quicker. Just little things like that.”
Little things like that are what will hopefully turn Bell into one of the top running backs in the league in 2014.
