DE Isaac Rochell Hopes to Reap Rewards of a Revamped Lifestyle

Following the end of the team’s three-day minicamp, second-year DE Isaac Rochell sat down with Ricky Henne of Chargers.com to talk about his experiences from the past year and how he feels going into the 2018 season.

Rochell admitted that he has been frustrated with himself about spending most of last season on the practice squad instead of playing on Sundays. But instead of staying down on himself, he has taken the lead on changing his lifestyle and outlook for the better, hoping it turns into a better season that includes an increase in playing time and success.

According to Rochell, he was at his heaviest last season when he weighted around 280 pounds. Right now, he claims to be closer to 265 pounds. After swtiching to a plant-based diet and adding yoga into his weekly regimen, he feels lighter, leaner, and faster than ever.

He told Henne, “I just feel better now. When you do yoga and you stretch and you eat right, and you’re doing things to help your body out, you’re able to get in positions that you didn’t know you can get in and you’re not thinking about it. You’re just playing. It just happens.”

Rochell played in just three games in 2017. He collected four total tackles with two coming against the New York Jets where he collected a sack of quarterback Bryce Petty and another tackle-for-loss.

With the loss of Chris McCain as the third rotational pass rusher, the door is wide open for Rochell to claim the role. Here’s to hoping that body transformation is just what he needed to propel his game to the next level.