Kowalski Hungry to Face Long

The Killer doesn’t get the urge as often these days.

The hunger pangs just aren’t there.

Gary (Killer) Kowalski knows he needs to eat six square meals a day to maintain his weight at 280 pounds.

But it’s tough to stay on the proper diet during the season. After all, a guy can’t send out for pizza during practice.

Kowalski, the Chargers’ right offensive tackle, has a metabolism that tends to keep him on the skinny side.

That’s not conducive to the health of a fellow who needs all the bulk he can pack to withstand the shoulder swats of defensive linemen such as Howie Long.

Kowalski isn’t too worried, though. He made his debut at tackle last year in a game against Long and the Raiders. After his nerves stabilized, Kowalski was fine.

So the prospect of facing Long on Sunday at the L.A. Coliseum is not one that is likely to cause Kowalski to lose his lunch.

“I can’t be afraid of making mistakes against Howie,” said Kowalski, whose nickname, borrowed from a 1950s wrestler, was bestowed by his parents.

“He has all the essential tools and he’s probably the quickest defensive lineman in football. But you have to ignore all the hype and P.R. surrounding him. I try to see Howie as just another defensive lineman.”

Kowalski has to force himself to eat to gain weight and to maintain it. He has no taste for anabolic steroids, a potent but risky way to get bigger and stronger.

“I’m all natural,” Kowalski said, sounding as if he should be endorsing whole-grain bread.

“The weight I’ve gained (20 pounds since being drafted by the Rams out of Boston College in 1983) is from eating. I try to eat six times a day, but that’s mostly in the off-season. It’s hard to keep my weight up during the season. I really have to try to pump the food in.”

He hasn’t figured the caloric content of six meals a day, but his diet probably would satisfy William Perry.

When he’s really inclined to stuff his face, Kowalski’s diet goes like this:

Breakfast--Three eggs, toast, bacon, sausage, juice.

Mid-morning snack--Protein shake, a couple of sandwiches.

Lunch--Several more sandwiches, fruit.

Mid-afternoon snack--Another protein shake or two, more fruit.

Supper--Chicken or steak, baked potato, dessert.

Evening snack--Whatever is near.

“Sometimes it’s hard to make myself eat,” said the curly-haired, 6-foot 6-inch lineman. “I’m definitely not hungry all the time. I almost have to force myself to snack.”

When his football days end--and he’s only 26, young for a blocker--Kowalski believes it will be easy to trim his weight 50 pounds, to the 230 range.

It’s not unusual for him to lose 10 pounds in a game. Many players his size sweat off even more, but they don’t have to labor to regain the weight as Kowalski does.

Here’s another twist. Kowalski is not only stronger, but also faster at 280 than he was in his days as a 195-pound wide receiver in high school.

He played center on the basketball team and had a 32-inch vertical jump. He was good enough to get basketball scholarship offers from Villanova and Syracuse.

Kowalski decided his future was more promising in football and played at Boston College, first as a tight end, later as an offensive lineman. After spending two seasons with the Rams, he was traded to the Chargers for Bobby Duckworth and a fifth-round draft choice early in the 1985 season.

Kowalski’s coordination and quickness earned him a starting job in training camp this year.

“His technique and confidence are so much improved over last year, it’s like night and day,” said Ed White, the ex-Charger guard who now is an assistant line coach.

White, who considered the Raiders’ Long the equal of any defensive lineman he ever faced, is preparing San Diego tackles, guards and centers for the possibility of confronting Long this week.

“Howie plays everywhere in the line, so he’ll probably be over each of our guys at some point in the game,” White said. “The toughest thing about Howie is he has the lower body of an 800-pound man, and it requires perfect technique to handle him. You can’t let his center of power get lower than yours and throw you off balance.”

Long’s most effective weapon is his shoulder swat, according to Kowalski.

“He likes to hit you under the shoulder pad, get you leaning, and then move you with his other arm,” Kowalski said. “And he’s so quick at getting that arm inside, it’s tough to keep him from pressing the pocket.”

Kowalski has made an effort not to be awed by Long. “That would put me at a mental disadvantage,” he said. “Everybody knows how good he is. But I think I’m also a lot better than last year. I’m stronger and sounder technically.” Kowalski underwent off-season surgery for what he described as a frayed rotator cuff in his left shoulder. There appears to be a surgical scar on his other shoulder, but Kowalski said it was just a crease caused by body fat.

He doesn’t know his percentage of fat, but it must be among the leaner figures among offensive linemen. There isn’t more than an inch to be pinched on his abdomen.

Despite his weight, Kowalski still thinks of himself as slim, quick and fast.

“Being athletically sound has helped me, no doubt about it,” he said. “But at the same time, I think I’m at a disadvantage compared to a guy like (rookie) James FitzPatrick, who has been playing tackle a lot longer than I have. I don’t have the experience, and I always have to worry about gaining enough weight.”

Kowalski had another problem in his rookie year. Like his wife, Gloria, he missed friends and family in New England. But now, after three years in Southern California, the family feels more at home.

“Where I live (Rancho Bernardo), there are about six golf courses and three lakes nearby, and those are things I love to take advantage of,” Kowalski said. “My wife is getting adjusted, too. I keep telling her things will be all right.”