The Rise and Fall of Leomiti : After Growing to 404 Pounds at End of 1991 Season, Lineman Says He Has a Handle on His Weighty Problem

Carlson Leomiti always had a body that wouldn’t quit.

The trick was making it quit.

At 335 pounds, the big sophomore anchors the San Diego State offensive line that is spearheading Marshall Faulk’s run toward a possible Heisman Trophy and the Aztecs’ run toward national prominence.

Leomiti enjoys opening some of the biggest holes for Faulk’s scampers. “It’s pretty much fun,” he said. “You do your block, look up and see somebody heading down the field for a touchdown.”

Leomiti has not only size, but also terrific mobility for an extra-large player.

“Certainly his size is his dominating factor,” offensive coordinator Bret Ingalls said. “He’s got a combination of athletic ability and quickness. And hey, what are you looking for in a football player? You’re looking for a big guy who can move.”

Faulk, Leomiti and the other Aztecs will be on display Saturday in the Rose Bowl when San Diego State plays UCLA.

Leomiti will have a large contingent of friends and family from the Carson area on hand.

They may hardly recognize him.

He is a shadow of the player he was the last time he played in the Southland. When the Aztecs finished last season in the Holiday Bowl, Leomiti weighed 404 pounds.

He was frighteningly overweight and was about to learn that big isn’t always best.

“The problem started when he was out for a three-to-four-week period (last fall) when he hurt his ankle and he gained 40 pounds,” trainer Dave Otten said.

“He was hurt, he was depressed, and when big fellows get depressed they hit the refrigerator. Carlson can put on pounds pretty easily. I’ve seen him gain 12 to 15 pounds over a weekend.”

Then there were the nightly snacks, legendary even among his teammates--like the $32 foray to McDonald’s one night. He bought so much food he needed help carrying the bags.

Team medics were worried about Leomiti’s health, and Coach Al Luginbill wouldn’t let him take part in spring practice.

It was time to try Branch Rickey’s old theory: gain by subtraction.

Leomiti was put on a supervised diet, two-a-day workouts and given a goal of dropping five pounds a week. And the nightly snacks ended.

“After he got over those nightly binges, it was pretty easy,” Otten said. “He was on schedule, he was able to take part in running and play basketball. Sometimes he’d fail and come in a few pounds over. It’s no secret. He can’t hide it. He’d tell us he went out the night before. But he was very determined and motivated.

“He (was) thoroughly counseled on food groups,” Otten said. “We put one guy in charge of (monitoring) him on a daily basis. We cut down on the fat (intake).

“He worked out in the morning and afternoon. We had to keep him on a bike and a (stair-climbing machine) because running was too hard on his ankles at 400 pounds.”

“Everything is fine now,” Leomiti said. “The problem was I’d eat at night, then go to sleep. I cut that out the beginning of the summer. Now I don’t eat after dark. I just told myself I’d lost weight before, it wasn’t that hard.”

Leomiti said he has barely changed his diet, although he now often chooses chicken over steak. “Steak takes too long to eat,” he said with a smile. “Takes too long to chew.”

His weight is monitored twice a week. Otten said Leomiti has consistently weighed from 332 to 340 pounds--down nearly 70 pounds from his peak.

His spring away from football left Leomiti a hungry player.

“Other years I used to hate coming to camp. But (missing spring drills) made me hungry to come back. I’m just happy to be on the field.”

And opponents have found him a formidable force. Otten said Leomiti “has never been heavy on his feet.”

“He’s got good mobility,” Otten said. “He’s very athletic. If you see him play basketball, he can really move. He has a lot of fun.”

Leomiti hopes the fun continues on the football field, where the 1-0-1 Aztecs are the team to beat in the Western Athletic Conference after defeating Brigham Young at Provo, Utah.

Leomiti said the 21st-ranked Aztecs aren’t looking ahead to the remaining WAC games or worrying about the game with UCLA.

“We’ll go out there, execute and hopefully come out with a win,” he said. “But it’s not really who we play, it’s how we play. If we lose, it’s because we made mistakes. I don’t really feel hype or pressure. We just gotta go out there and be San Diego State.”

Even at Banning High, where there are generally some large Samoan linemen, Leomiti was big.

He played nose guard at Banning, but is an offensive lineman for San Diego State after redshirting his freshman year.

“Guess I got too big to play nose guard,” he said.

Although Leomiti is excited about returning to the Los Angeles area and playing in front of his family, the game with UCLA “is not a big thing.”

UCLA, he said, “never recruited me. Their loss, I guess.”

If the Aztecs continue to win and Faulk continues to gain national attention, Leomiti will probably play a big part.

Folks here just hope it doesn’t get too big, again.

“I don’t anticipate him ever being a 295-pounder,” Otten said. “But I do anticipate him being 315 to 325. I think his motivation is to get in the 320 range.”

Chances are the payoff will have been worth the weight.