Topic: Parthenon: Sophomore big-man slims down in offseason

[ZackUSAF82]

With apologizes to Jared Fogle, there is a new weight-loss story that is worth mentioning and this one has nothing to do with consuming Subway sandwiches.

Marshall sophomore forward Robbie Jackson arrived for his freshman year on campus in the fall of 2006 at a hefty 299 pounds.

One season, a new workout regiment and a coaching change later, the once sluggish 7-footer is now a sleek 265-pound force to be reckoned with for new Marshall head coach Donnie Jones and the 2007-08 edition of the Thundering Herd.

"Coach Jones told me over the summer that if we want to play fast, it would be nice for me to lose some weight," Jackson said. "I committed my whole summer to going out and losing weight and now that I'm down to 265 I feel like it's really going to help this year."

Jackson's new lean figure has allowed the Aberdeen, Md., native to fit right in with the up-tempo, fast-paced style of play that Jones has brought from his assistant coaching days at the University of Florida.

"Robbie has shown great commitment and has made incredible strides toward where we want him to be," Jones said. "His commitment to losing weight in the offseason really told us a lot about his winning attitude."

Link: http://media.www.marshallparthenon.com/media/storage/paper534/news/2007/11/09/Sports/Sophomore.BigMan.Slims.Down.In.Offseason-3090985.shtml