Bears’ Leonard Floyd reminds himself to eat more with phone alarms

Most of us don’t need to remind ourselves to eat more. Sadly, the opposite is often true.

But for Chicago Bears first-round pick Leonard Floyd, it’s all part of his new daily routine. Although the team says Floyd’s weight — which hovered in the 230s last season at Georgia — is not a big deal for the 6-foot-6 pass rusher, they are having him change his dietary habits a bit.

“I’ve got prompts set up on my phone of times in the day that I’m supposed to eat, making sure I eat at those time when I get the alarm. Things like that,” Floyd said, via Pro Football Weekly.

Eat what exactly? Well Jenn Gibson, the Bears’ sports science coordinator and dietitian, has Floyd munching on various caloric and protein bombs, such as protein shakes or bars or perhaps a sandwich. Nice problem to have — needing a phone to remind you to eat. This blogger has great trouble relating, honestly.

But the Bears believe that Floyd can thrive regardless of his bulk, and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio wasn’t too concerned with Floyd’s weight. He and the team believe the No. 9 pick in the draft can have a big impact rushing off the edge, perhaps even the way that Fangio had with another long, lean player he had, Aldon Smith, in San Francisco.

Floyd’s responsibilities at Georgia were more multi-faceted, so he’s being groomed more in this specialized role in Chicago.

“I was playing a whole lot faster, just having to worry about my one position and my keys,” Floyd said. “It’s allowed me to play fast.”

The goal is clear: Floyd must eat more now so he can munch on quarterbacks later. It’s all starting to make more sense now. Even if we find his high-octane metabolism a bit offensive, honestly.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm