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Los Angeles Charger defensive end Isaac Rochell isย aย second yearย player out of Notre Dame. Heย has an incredibly empowering and evolved mindset for such a young athlete; unlike many in the major pro sports scene, he seemsย to have gotten over himself!

Isaac describes how he transformed his body and his mindset by diving into the ketogenic diet in preparation for the NFL draft. In five months, he went from 23% body fat to 16%, and was selected in theย third round of the draft by the LA Chargers. Isaac talks about his development as a young athlete and how he ended up at Notre Dame (โ€œMy mom made me visit, and I fell in love with the place, especially the traditionโ€),ย his emphasis on getting a degree (I wasnโ€™t going all the way to cold South Bend and finish without a degreeโ€ฆ”), and his evolved mindset about taking advantage of opportunity (“NCAA athletes in revenue sports may be exploited, but the athletes have to understand that they need to exploit that opportunity for a free education!โ€).ย ย 

Afterย survivingย the dreaded 53-man cut at Chargers training camp, Isaac details the first true adversity he experienced as an athleteโ€”being relegated to the practice squad early in the season. This small group of players are still technically on the team, but don’t suit up for games–extra players to go through the season with as ready stand-by’s. While many young athletes coming from the stardom of high school and collegeย might make complaints and excuses, Isaac took the opportunity of his demotion to reflect.ย โ€œI was definitely frustrated, but you have to self-evaluate in these situations.โ€ Isaac’s reflective mindset and unwavering work ethic were the most lauded attributes by the NFL scouts. Asked how he made it all the way to the highest level of sport,ย Isaac relates: โ€œStep oneย is just showing up, and then working hard when you get there.โ€ย Simple as that!ย 

Isaac also talks about how the focus and discipline he applied toย hisย ketogenic diet and physique transformation delivered benefits in many other areas of his life. In particular, it gave him a sense of control in aย worldย whereย team sport professionalย athletes donโ€™t have much control over their days or their destinies. Today his prominent dietary goal is to reduce inflammation, and he follows a plant-based, nutrient-dense diet that avoids sugar and dairy and emphasizes plants as well as fish and eggs.

TIME STAMPS:

Isaac describes his journey from South Carolina to Notre Dame to the NFL โ€ฏ[00:02:46]โ€ฏย 

When thinking about getting into the NFL, he knew he wanted to do something about his body composition. He started the Keto diet.โ€ฏ [00:06:42]ย 

Theย agents for draft usually startย after your junior season at college. How does it work? [00:10:45]โ€ฏย 

His body fat at 23 percent was not going to make it. What was the transformation? [00:15:01]โ€ฏย 

The next level of preparation has to be cognitive ability and intelligence.โ€ฏ[00:17:41]โ€ฏย 

In high school how did you prepare for the dream of going into professional football?โ€ฏ [00:18:49]โ€ฏย 

His best decision was to go to Notre Dame.ย [00:21:51]โ€ฏย 

What was the support system for players at Notre Dame?โ€ฏ [00:25:24]โ€ฏย 

Life in the NFL is busy year around. What happens off-season? [00:27:43]โ€ฏย 

What is Isaac doing this off-season? Yoga, stretching, and concentration on his diet.โ€ฏ [00:32:21]โ€ฏย 

The emphasis is on mobility and flexibility rather than weight lifting. [00:33:47]โ€ฏย 

The coaches for the Chargers are very open to suggestions from the guys to use to help the team.โ€ฏ[00:34:23]โ€ฏย 

What is it like off the field for the young player? [00:36:07]โ€ฏย 

In his rookie year, he got sent down to the practice squadย thatย was disappointing but was a good life lesson. [00:37:25]โ€ฏย 

Self-evaluation is a rare quality for such a young athlete. Don’t quit. Work hard. [00:43:07]โ€ฏย 

Most of the Chargers teammates are pretty humble guys. [00:45:32]โ€ฏย 

The universities are making multiple millions off of the college athletes. What are Isaac’s thoughts about that problem?[00:46:08]โ€ฏย 

How did the Keto transformation give him a sense of confidence and control over his life?โ€ฏ [00:52:25]โ€ฏย 

ย LINKS:

Isaac Rochellย 

Isaac Rochelle Instagramย 

ย LISTEN:

Download Episode MP3

Get Over Yourself Podcast

Speakers: Brad Kearns and Isaac Rochelleย 

Brad Kearns: Welcome to theย Getย Overย Yourselfย Podcast. This is Brad Kearns.ย 

Isaac Rochelle:โ€œSo,ย that point of being successful is showing up.ย And I think if you can just manage this show up and when you’re there, work hard, good things willย happen to you?โ€ย 

โ€œI’ve faced some adversity and it was a matter of responding.ย I had to look at it as an opportunity to capitalize. So,ย I think the guys that don’t pan out other than injuries, it’s a lot of just how they respond toย aย different situation.โ€ย 

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Hi listeners.ย It gives me great pleasure to introduce a very interesting and impressive young man by the name of Isaac Rochelle. And he’s a defensive end for the Los Angelesย Chargers. Secondย year player,ย coming up on his second year out of the University ofย Notre Dame. And I’ve known this guy for a while because out of the blue,ย he wrote this very appreciative and enthusiastic email telling us that he had goneย ketoย and he loved our message and our primal kitchen products. And we said,ย โ€œHey, how about someย more?โ€ย So,ย we put them on the VIP list, man. If you’re in the NFL, you get the perks.ย 

Itย was just such a pleasure to engage with this guy. He was very well spoken and polite and I arranged for some interviews for theย Ketoย Resetย Mastery course that we offer onย ketoreset.com. All about how to goย keto. And it was such an amazing story about he just took his life on.ย He had finished his football careerย upย at Notre Dame and the scouts, the evaluatorsย –ย it’s a very harsh process and they came in and said,ย โ€œLook man, at 23%ย body fat,ย you’re not going to make it in the NFL.ย A defensiveย endย has to be quick and explosive.โ€ย And so,ย he’s like,ย โ€œAll right, what do I do?โ€ย 

And he went into theย ketogenicย diet with his trainer down at one of these performance institutes that they put the players in before theย NFLย Combine. Andย heย just had such a focused and disciplined approach. He got this excess body fat off. He was prime for theย Draft. He got picked in the seventh round and he was on his way to anย NFLย career. And you’ll hear some very interesting and amazing insights in this interview. I can’t believe.ย 

Looking back when I was a young athlete and you know,ย something would go wrong.ย You’d have a misfortune, youโ€™dย get your butt kicked in a race. And our tendency, especially in the athletic world, is to have those protective mechanisms of the ego where you go and blame someone else.ย 

Like, โ€œThe race organizerย didn’t have good signs up and so I got lost,ย and that cost me my price check. Orย these guys cheated on the bike ride. They drafted and that’s why I was so far behind. And boy,ย Isaac seems like he’s already gotten figured out at a young age. Because he talked aboutย last year where he got cut. He got sent to the practice squad for a while. And he said,ย โ€œYeah, at first I was frustrated and then I just realized it was a great chance forย self-evaluation.โ€ย 

Toย me,ย to get into that headspace as an athlete, to have gotten over yourself already, just as a young player and to see this adversity as merely an opportunity to drill down and focus and get better, very, very impressive. I think theย Chargers have a guy who’s going to be a valuable team player, a great asset in the locker room for a long time.ย 

Weโ€™reย so used to this distorted picture of the NFL asย this huge athletesย smashing into each otherย while the fans are screaming. And there’s so much more to the package of a guy unlike Isaac who has worked hard and gotten this far. Not just because he’s a great physical talent, but because he has the full package and all the pieces together, including the intelligence. Because they worked these guys hard, man. He had just come off anย all-dayย session at theย Chargers facility,ย and this is in theย off-seasonย before training camp starts. But there’s always something to work on and study and be disciplined and focused. And he talks about how theย ketogenic diet was really a leverage point for him to become a more focused and more in control individual.ย He felt like he had more control over his life because he had control over his diet.ย 

So,ย some really interesting insights from a young guy. I hope you enjoy the show. Goย follow Isaac Rochelle onย Instagram. And here he is after a long day of football doings at theย Chargerย facility, telling us all how we can get over ourselves.ย 

Let’s just get right into it. I want to just check in with you and see what life’s like for anย NFLย football playerย now.ย You’re in the groove and thenย get a little bit into your background about how you got to this pointย andย cover some of the stuff that we talked about in those other videos because this is sort of a different purpose. But I like how that story of how you transform your body for theย NFLย Draft and tookย control of your lifeย inย the process and all that fun stuff. So,ย we’ll just see where it goes.ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah. So,ย firstย off,ย Iโ€™m great. We are inย minicampย right now, so we just finishedย OTAโ€™s,ย and then now we’re in minicamp.ย Itโ€™sย just practices that are a little less intense. Obviously,ย you don’t have the stress of the season, which is super nice.ย 

Butย a little bit about myself, I went to Notre Dame. I’m from Georgia. So,ย wentย all the way up to the cold inย South Bend,ย went to Notre Dame. And thenย played there for four years, had a great experience.ย Asย many people know, Notre Dame has tons of tradition which makes for an unreal football experience.ย So,ย I love that.ย 

Thenย like you had mentioned,ย after my senior season, Iย went intoย training for theย Draft. And for me, a lot of thatย was me wanting to change my body composition.ย Asย far as healthย andย eating habits, I didn’t really have any former knowledge.ย Inย college,ย I was eating three pizzas a week, like not caring at all.ย Whichย I mean,ย you don’t have to know anythingย about health to knowย that’s not good for you.ย Butย decided I needed to change my body composition and I had a trainer in Arizona who suggested doing the ketogenic diet.ย 

So,ย I enteredย theย process of changing my body composition at probably, I think it was 23%ย body fatย which is not good for aย D-lineman in the NFL. Andย did theย ketoย diet for five months. And at the end of it, I think my best comp was 16%. So,ย a significant change,ย and a lot of that had to do with cutting out carbs and just fueling myself with things that were better and not going to cause me to have excess fat.ย 

Thenย entered theย Draft, ended up getting drafted in the seventh round by the Los Angelesย Chargers. Iย came out here, and through that,ย I continued doing theย ketoย diet. Andย wentย into the season,ย made theย 53-manย roster. And then after my first gameย essentially got fired.ย I wasย super frustrated and I got put on the practice squad.ย Looking back now, that was a huge point in my careerย and I think it’s helped me a lot now.ย 

Butย did practice squad for some weeks and then ended up getting activated at the end of the season,ย and finished off the season right where I wantedย to. Butย through that, again, with the health and eating habits, I continued doing theย ketoย diet. And I think that also helped me through the season. My body composition continuedย to improve during the season and I actually was in great shapeย throughout the time that I was on practice squad. Like I had mentioned to you, Brad, after practices, I would come in and run a mileย and I just felt really good. And I think a lot of that had to do with what I was putting in my body.ย 

Went through theย off-season, which was really nice.ย And Brad, we had talked about how important it is to take time off mentally. I really did that. And now, like I said, we’reย OTAโ€™sย inย minicampย and I’ve transitioned kind of into more of aย plant-basedย dietย just after doing research and stuff. I think that’s going to beย the thing that’s going to reduce inflammation andย fuelย me the most for thisย season. So,ย that’s been good for me. But we’ll see what happens. But yeah, that’sย theย background.ย 

Brad Kearns: Man, youโ€™re teeing us up.ย I got so manyย questions for you. It’s so interesting. I guess we’ll startย going back to that interesting time in your life where you play four years. You give your heart and soul to the fighting Irish and then I suppose at that time,ย there are some evaluators and some things going on where you are a possibleย Draft picked. I suppose if you’re interested in continuing your football career, these are things that you start to discuss after the final games over, is that how it works?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Oh, so,ย interestingly enough, the process startsย pretty much immediately after your junior season and forย some,ย immediately after your sophomore season. So,ย you start interviewing agents.ย You startย getting feedback from the NFL and agents at that point.ย So,ย by the end of my senior season, I already had an agent chose.ย I hadn’t signed with an agent, but I knew who I was going to sign with and I kind of knew what was going to happen post-senior season.ย 

So,ย it’s super interesting because you start talking to these people like before and during the most crucial season of your life.ย So,ย it adds an interesting twist andย itย adds unnecessary stress to the situation. But to answer your question, there’s a lot of things that are done prior to the senior season.ย 

Brad Kearns: So,ย is this new Isaac? I thought in the old days thatย if an agent so much as looked in your direction or bought you aย bagel, you were going to be an eligible. So,ย now there is some sort of organization to the process?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:So,ย they still can’t buy you aย bagel.ย 

Brad Kearns: Can they get a house for your parents in San Diego if you’re a great running back at USC?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah, theyย cannot. They definitely cannot. Butย you’re allowed to interview them. You can talk toย themย as much as you want. They just can’t give you anything.ย And so,ย I mean,ย I did probably 20 to 30 interviews with agents.ย So,ย like I said, they can’t do anything for you, but they can give you their time.ย 

Brad Kearns: And what was that like? Was there a sleaze factor to a certain percentย toย them? I mean, how did you get one over by the last few that made the cut for the final decision?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah, it’s just through interviewing and getting to knowย them. Youย interview people and as you go throughout the process,ย you learn things and you learn what you do and don’t want. And that kind of helped me. But going into it,ย I didn’t have a clue. Like I didn’t know what I was looking for and what I wasn’t looking for.ย 

Brad Kearns: Now,ย are you sitting there just as a college kid meeting these suits in the dorm cafeteria or are you with your family members or certain advisors independent from the agent or what’s that all about?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah. So,ย you’re saying what did it look like interviewingย them?ย 

Brad Kearns: Yeah, were youย with anybody on your behalf likeย parentsย orย I don’t know,ย one of the coaches or anything?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah. So,ย initially it was just me kind of freestyling because I didn’t know what I didn’t know. And then as the process continued, I asked my mom to help out a lot. So,ย she ended up conducting a lot of the interviews, andย I kind of took a backseat to it because it was becoming overwhelming.ย Butย initially,ย like I said, I was just freestyling, just like interviewing people atย Starbucks, whatever it may be.ย Andย that wasn’t a productive way to go about it. I would tell anybody to find somebody who’s smarter than you are,ย who has time to kind of like head the process for you.ย 

Brad Kearns: Now, were these guysย or girlsย orย the potential agentsย were, were they being realistic or was it sort of this wine and dine sales pitch? Like,ย โ€œHey, you’re going to be a lottery pick or whatever.โ€ย How did that go?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Itย depends. Some agents try to tell you stuff that’s not true and wine and dine you.ย For me,ย it was the ones that were realistic and gave me like factualย information.ย Those wereย theย people that I liked. But people definitely kind of try to play the game and just feed you info.ย 

Brad Kearns: Yeah. It’s such a harsh process. I don’t think many of us can relate toย being up there on the chopping block. I mean,ย in theย Combine, they literally parade you on stageย inย your underwear so that the scouts can take a look at you standing on a scale and getting measured to get your accurate height. And thenย this body fat concern, it seems likeย you took this thing on,ย head on. But it was like, reallyย yourย 23%ย is not going to beย NFLย caliber and youย got toย do something about it.ย 

So,ย you took this challenge on head on,ย and it’s so interesting how the process went.ย So,ย who recommended that again? Then how did it go to transform from Mr.ย Pizzaย guy inย Southย Bend to getting really deep into theย into theย ketoย realm and carving up. And I love yourย Instagram. So,ย people have to go look at Isaac Rochelle Instagramย and see that before and after,ย where it’s before 280 pounds and then after 280 pounds. It’s like the transformation from a football player and envisioning how much that affects your quickness, your fitness and what you did in such a short time to elevate yourย Draft start.ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah. So,ย my trainer in Arizonaย kind of like suggested that I do theย keto diet. And I didn’t really know too much about it. And I justย kind ofย went with it,ย and all my meals were planned. So,ย I ate what he gave me, and it really panned out to be a beneficial thing to do.ย 

But like I mentioned to you last time we talked, my thing withย diet,ย that I never really realized before was,ย if you can learn how to eat right and you can discipline your eating habits,ย itย kind of spills over into other things in your life.ย Andย you see yourself being more disciplinedย inย other categories.ย 

So,ย it was just cool for me to take control of what I was doing and take control of my eating. And then I think it just taught me some discipline.ย 

Brad Kearns: Well,ย you’re also working out extremely hard. Maybe harder than you did in college because you don’t have the classes. So,ย was it difficult to wean off of the pizza fast and into that carb restriction especially?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:No, I don’t think it was. Just because like you said, I have more time to focus on my eating. And for me,ย like when I’m making a meal,ย I see that as a part of my job. Like I’m making something to benefit my body and my body is my job. So,ย I kind of just see it as part of my routine and part of what I need to do to get better.ย 

Brad Kearns: Yeah. I remember you telling me something very interesting last time we talked down thereย inย your home base near the LAย Charger facility in Orange County, and how important it was to be intelligent as a professional player. And the amount of cognitive demand they place on you guys with all the meetings and the memorization. And I imagine as you’re preparing for theย Draft,ย and it’s like a make or break thing. You’re going to be on stageย in yourย underwear and they’re going to be checking you out in however manyย weeksโ€™ time.ย 

Is this someplace where some of these prospects and these great talents that you see in college and don’t pan out, can they just not get their act together to go to that next level?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:I think sometimes that’s the case. But I think there’s just so many factors.ย Aย huge one would be like injuries. Like you don’t know what’s going to happen.ย Andย I think the biggest thing is like, no matter what your circumstances are and where are you going to get drafted, everyone’s going to face some type ofย adversity.ย Andย I think it’s just a matter of how you respond.ย Likeย I mentioned it when I was talking about my background. I faced some adversity and it was a matter of responding. So,ย I think the guys that don’t pan out other than injuries, it’s a lot of just how they respond to different situations.ย 

Brad Kearns: So,ย tell me about the adversity, Isaac,ย going back into your high school days and at the same time, I’m wondering when you started to get those glimpses that you had this amazing upside that’s such aย โ€ฆ itโ€™s aย one in a million shot literally for a high school footballer to make it all the way to the NFL. So,ย how did that process go for you?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:I mean, I hate saying that it justย kind ofย happened. I thinkย itย takes working hard, it takes luck and it takes just like continuing to move forward.ย And I think like things just have to fall in place. But for me, I had a really good structure at home. My parents were really good about encouraging me. They were big on not quitting stuff,ย and they were big about just whatever you do, make sure you work hard at it. And so,ย I think if you have that foundationย like the sky’s the limit, whatever your potential is, you have a way better chance of meetingย itย if you don’t stop and you don’t quit and you just work hard.ย 

So,ย that’s justย kind ofย how it happened for me.ย Andย then obviously,ย going toย Notre Dame, like my mom forced me to go visit Notre Dame, which was a huge factor. Andย thenย I endedย up going there.ย Andย then I just played four years at Notre Dame and had fun and like I said, worked hard.ย Andย then I went to theย NFL. So,ย it just kind of happened. But in that,ย it takes hard work and it takes just making a decision to not stop.ย 

Brad Kearns: Wow, that’s fantastic. Because I think there’s a level of talent out there and when you’re playing atย Division 1ย BCS, you have so much talent that we have to examine further who makes it and who doesn’t. And I know the same thing was true for meย inย the triathlon scene. Where you’d see these guys that arguably had more talent than even the many of the best folks in the world, but they didn’t have the whole picture together. And you’re talking about keep going andย you sound so breezy with your accountย ofย howย youย made it all the way to the NFL. But I think maybe that’s the secret right there. That you just neverย allowedย thatย self-doubtย and those discouraging thoughts to creep into your mind and you just kept going and kept strapping up.ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah. I mean, someone told me, like our defense coordinator always says like, step one to being successful is showing up. And I think if you can just manage toย show up and when you’re there, work hard, good things will happen to you.ย I think you see a lot of guys that just don’tย โ€ฆ theyย start something, they get frustrated and they quit, especially in high school. And then when theyย quit,ย they completely kill allย theirย opportunity. And then a lot of guys show up, but they don’t work hard.ย 

So,ย I think it takes both. I think it just takes showing up, having a good attitude and just working hard.ย And then good things happen. I mean, it’s hard to explain and it does sound breezy because it’s looking back. Butย that’s justย kind ofย how it happened.ย 

Brad Kearns: Speaking of showing up, so,ย you said your mom forced you to visit Notre Dame. So,ย that wasn’t on your hot list at first. Did you want to go to theย Bulldogs or what was your dealย when recruiting stuff was going on?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:No, I was going to go toย Clemsonย actually. Iย hadย pretty much told the coachย that like I’m going to Clemson.ย And then my mom being from Minneapolis told me that I needed to go visitย Notre Dame. And I got in the car and went and then fell in love with it. Andย I think it’s been the best decision in my life up to this point that I’ve made.ย 

Brad Kearns: What was special about Notre Dame that perhaps you might not have received at another school?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:I think the tradition, like I mentioned earlier, it’s a unique place becauseย Iย feel like people don’t just happen to beย Notre Dameย fans. It’s veryย like strategic in a way. Like you’re aย Notre Dameย fan for a reason. Sometimes,ย it’s proximity, but there’s nothing inย Southย Bend. So,ย it’s not like there’s tons of people thereย andย tons ofย Notre Dameย fans. People really love Notre Dame and it makes for a really unique game experience. So,ย I think that’s kind of like the thing that made it most special for me and made it extremely unique.ย 

Brad Kearns: Oh my gosh, forget about South Bend. I mean,ย I used to go to the SC Notre Dame game at the coliseum every year when I was a kid growing up in LA.ย And you go to the game and half the stadiumโ€™s green and they’re like,ย โ€œWho are these people? Why are they screaming so loud for a team from Indiana?โ€ย Butย the fan base is like all over the place and I don’t know if it’s the Irish heritageย –ย I asked my friend who took me to the game,ย โ€œShould I go over there since I’m Irish?โ€ย And it’s like,ย well, they somehow haveย a huge following and I can’t imagine that all those people are alumni. So,ย you’re right, it does have kind of a magic in the sports world. And boy, you have some definitely a rabid fan base.ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah, I mean,ย I’m extremely biased, butย Norte Dame fans, it’s crazy because like I said, like these people love Notre Dame,ย and they will die by Notre Dame.ย And so,ย for us, like as playersย โ€ฆย and you don’t realize until you leave how special it was because you started to see fans in the NFL and in other placesย arenโ€™tย as uniqueย as Norte Dame fans. And we weren’t always the loudestย stadium. Andย it wasn’t always the craziest game day experience, but there was something special about playing inย theย stadium.ย 

Brad Kearns: I don’t want to distract you right now, man, because I know you’re all in with the athletic experience. But I wonderย withย this strong alumni base and the loyalty of that Notre Dame community,ย are you thinking beyond your athletic career and perhaps leveragingย your time there and yourย high profile as an athlete into some type of career opportunity through the connections and through the community?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah. I mean, of course.ย 

Brad Kearns: Listen to this guy. Oh my gosh.ย 

Isaac Rochelle:For me,ย it’s always leverage everythingย and theย NFL is such a short window.ย So,ย for me,ย it’s connect with as many people as I can.ย Try to further my education becauseย theย NFLย pays for it. And then try to influence people. So,ย it’s not just helping me, it’s what can I do for other people too. But I think the biggest thing for anyย NFLย player to understand or anybody really anywhere,ย the window is shortย inย a lot of things. So,ย it’s just a matter of taking advantage of whatever influence you have or whatever status you have when you can.ย 

Brad Kearns: So,ย speaking of that, when thisย Draft thing comes up and the stakes are so high and it’s basically a do or die operation to get that body fat down and perform well in theย Combine, did you leave school abruptly and head down to Arizona to immerse full time and how did that affectย yourย track to graduate and so forth?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah, well,ย I was graduated before I left. I don’t think my mom wouldย haveย let me leave, but my thing was I wasn’t going to go all the way up to coldย Southย Bend andย not leave with a degree.ย So,ย I left December 14th and I finished my last exam December 11th.ย So,ย it was a quickย turnaround. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t have left that fast. But it was a learning experience. But to answer your question, I had my degree and I left as soon as I got it.ย 

Brad Kearns: So,ย we hear this about Notre Dame. I know you said youโ€™re extremely biased, but there seems to be a vastly more emphasis placed on academics. I know that the admission process is no guarantee for a football player because we had a superstar player,ย five-star recruit here in California from my son’s high school and he originally signed with Notre Dame, and there was some glitches in the process and it was no funny business. Where this guyย had to alter his destiny because of the, apparently the admissions office getting involved and saying,ย โ€œOh no, we don’t just let football players in here. Theyย got toย earn it and get all their creditsย rightย and all that.โ€ย 

Is thisย theย legit real deal? And if you answer yes, what’s it like when you get there and go into this football program, which is so time consuming?ย How do they support you with resources on campus?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:So,ย I mean, obviously,ย it’s not the same exactย standards. Butย there’s still a higher standard for athletesย toย get intoย Notreย Dameย than there would be at anotherย school. Andย then when you get there,ย theyย give you the resourcesย and they give you the opportunity to get tutors and getย help. Butย it’s kind of, you get out of it what you put in it.ย So,ย if you don’t need a tutor, you don’t want a tutor, they’re not going to make you get a tutor. And if you need a tutor and you don’t get one, you’re not going to have one.ย So,ย they give you the resources and information and it’s kind of on you to take advantage of it.ย 

Brad Kearns: So,ย now,ย you’re fully into the NFL lifestyle. And I just wonder along with most of the listeners what it’s like. Because all we see is when we turn on the TV and watch the game or I guess now we see theย HBOย series of the playersย inย training camps,ย so we have a much better sense than ever before. But what is day-to-day life like? And here we are deep into the off-season, but you’re very busy with the minicampsย andย the OTA.ย So,ย take us around the calendar of how the year looks for you as anย NFLย player.ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah. So,ย we’ll just start in January, January, if you’re not in playoffs, you’reย offย from January to April, which is very nice because you don’t have anything to do and obviously you can just focus on your body and focus on getting betterย without the pressure of a season. And then now we’re in the phase where it’sย OTAโ€™sย inย minicamp. And days, like OTAย days,ย you get there in the morning, you have a special teamsย meeting. Youย have meetings up until about 10:00. Then you practice and usually you’re leaving the facility at about 1:30. And then after practice,ย there’s meetings too.ย 

That’s pretty much the same schedule forย minicamp. And then we’ll go into a phase for six weeks where we don’t have anything,ย which isย mid-Juneย through all of July. And then training camp starts in August. And then once thatย starts,ย you’re pretty much full goย until January again.ย 

Brad Kearns: And you talk about that off-season where you’re focusing on your personal development as a player, getting with your trainers and all that. Is that pretty much routine standard or some guys focusing onย theirย ski boat or their trips to Europe?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Everybodyย does different things. I’m pleased with what I did in the off-season, andย this year, it might look completely different last year. I think it’sย kind of whatย you need mentally and physically. I think some guys mentally need time to not do anything, not think about football and go focus on theirย boat. Someย guysย start training two weeks after the season and they don’t stop until the season’s over the next year.ย 

So,ย I think it just kind of depends person toย person. Forย me, I focus a lot on doing yoga and stretching and then obviously like I’ve mentioned,ย my eating and just improving my body composition someย more.ย 

Brad Kearns: Wow, that’s an interesting answer. And it reminds me of thisย amazing quote I got from Julio Jones talking toย Sportsย Illustrated,ย and they were asking him about his off-season eating and training regimen. And he said,ย โ€œI don’t do anything, man. I’m beat up so much during the season that I just need to rest my mind and my body.โ€ย And I looked at and I thought,ย โ€œYou know what, this guy might be the trendsetter for the future.โ€ย 

I personally believe that even at the highest level of professional athletics, there’s a huge danger of overtraining and generally overstimulating not just the body but the brain,ย to the extent that we forget about downtime. And we know the coaches are workingย theirย famous 18-hour days and sleeping on the couch in their office. Andย it’s possible that we might swing back into that balance where players are taking the off-season to do things like yoga. I mean, is this sort of stuff catching on?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah,ย Iย definitelyย think yoga and things like that are. But once again,ย Brad, I thinkย it’sย completely personย toย person.ย Like, for me, I canย never take four months off and not do anything. That would stress me out more than working out everyday would. So,ย I think it just really depends onย aย person and their personality.ย 

Brad Kearns: Yeah. The exact quote from Jonesย says,ย โ€œI don’t have an off-season workout regimen. I don’t lift weights, I don’t run, I don’t do anything. I let my body rest.โ€ย But here’s the punchline,ย โ€œI just eat good. I actually eat great.โ€ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah, I mean,ย if that’s what he can do, I wish I could do that. But I wasn’t blessed with thoseย genes,ย so I have to keep grinding.ย 

Brad Kearns: Yeah, that’s great. I mean,ย that’sย kind ofย your profile. I was reading up on your scouting reports,ย where they’reย talking about every little element of your potential in the NFL and you’re highly lauded as a hard worker and an agreeable guy.ย So,ย I guess you feel that out and perhaps evolve your approach over time. There’s a lot of research now that the older athletes can get away with less training because they require longer recovery time and they do better with kind of just dialing things down. But I guess now you’re a young guy and you can manage that workload. And what are you working on this off-season? Like what’s your areas that you want to improve upon?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Oh, I think it’s just mobility, stretching, stretching, stretching.ย Aย huge focus, like I said, I’m doing yoga and just feeling good. Like I want to go into the season and feelย good. Whenย I go on the field and I warm up, Iย want toย feel fluid and feel like I can do the things that my body should be able to do. And that’s something that I haven’t worked on in the past. And it helped me from January to April. It helped me withย OTAโ€™sย and inย minicamp.ย So,ย I’m trying to make another leapย in July and it’ll help me in training camp.ย 

Brad Kearns: So,ย actually stretching, like what kind of stretching protocol are we talking about? Dynamic stretching or traditional sit on the ground and touch your toes orย what?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah, so for me, it looks like yoga, like a lot of yoga. And then like, right now,ย when I’m in a phase where I’m practicing, Iโ€™ll practice,ย come home, eat lunch, relax, and then I go to the gym and rollย out and stretch for 45 minutes to an hour. And then getย in theย steam room and relax my muscles and then go to sleep. So,ย it really just depends on the phase that I’m in. If I don’t have any practices,ย thenย I’m doing yoga three to four times a week.ย If I’m practicing, I’m just going to roll out and stretch at night for 45 minutes to an hour.ย So,ย it just dependsย 

Brad Kearns: How much emphasis on the old school living,ย lifting theย heavy bench press and throwing around the big iron?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:You’re saying, what do I think about that?ย 

Brad Kearns: Yeah.ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah, I think there’s a time and a place for it. I think it’s just important to have a foundation. And then once you have a foundation, it’s about developing what you already have. So,ย some guys need to get to that pointย whereย theyโ€™re,ย like you said, throwing around a lot of weight and some guys can already throw around a lot of weight,ย so they don’t need to just continue to beat up their muscles and body. They need to focus on mobility and feeling good.ย 

Brad Kearns: So,ย when you go into camp and you’re with theย Chargers official staff at the training facility, is there a smooth integration to the stuff that you really like to do on your own or with your own handpickedย trainers? Is that ever a conflict?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:I can’t speak for everybody, but theย Chargers do a good job of allowing guys to integrate their personal things that they have going on with the team. Coach Lynn is really open to learning about different methods and other people that are good at what they do. But I don’t know how it is at other teams though, but theย Chargers do a really good job of allowing guys to bring in kind of their own people.ย 

Brad Kearns: Youย mean bring them into the facility or justย know that you like to do more yoga than the next guy, and so they kind of support that goal?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:So,ย both.ย I mean, if you have something that you think is cutting-edge and that will help the team and you present it to our staff,ย they’ll look into it. They’re not going to shut down any idea, especially if it could help the team.ย 

Brad Kearns: Wow, that’s cool,ย Isaac.ย I wonder if that’s across the board because it sounds really novel. I mean, so,ย if you brought in a bunch of primal kitchen salad dressing and said,ย โ€œHey guys, try this at lunch.โ€ย Theyย mightย go for it?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:The nutritionistsย are aย little-ย 

Brad Kearns: Oh really?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah, it justย depends on who you’re talking to. Butย like our staff that deals with your body and recovery and all of that, they’re really open-minded.ย 

Brad Kearns: Okay. So,ย we have a picture of what life is like,ย the teamย own jiffer.ย Those six months from when training camp starts to the end of the playoffsย orย the end of theย season. Whatโ€™sย it like off the field as a young guy? You’re in the NFL, you’re down there in the OC,ย hanging out by the beach and living the dream in many people’s estimation. Are you recognized over atย Wholeย Foods or ridingย your cruiser bike on the beach or what’s it like down there?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:It’s nice. I mean, I love beingย inย OC. I live in Huntingtonย Beach and it’s a nice spot toย live. Butย it just depends. Like you go some places and they know you. Youย go to some places,ย they don’t. Some places are just like,ย โ€œYou’re huge. I know you do something.โ€ It just depends on where you go. But because we’re not inย LA,ย I think a lot of the people that would know us are up there, they’re not around us. So,ย it just depends though. But I loveย โ€ฆ Iโ€™mย living near the beach and being in California has been unreal.ย 

Brad Kearns: And I guess theย Chargers are moving over to their new stadium some point soon in LA, right?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah. So,ย I think it’s supposed to be done in 2020.ย 

Brad Kearns: And where do you go in theย off-season?ย Do you go back to home base or are you pretty much settled there in southernย Cal?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:So,ย I’ll travel a little bit for instance,ย in these six weeks, but I’ll be here for the majority of the time. Because I’m a big routine guy. I like to be in my routine before camp starts.ย So,ย that’s what I’m going to do.ย 

Brad Kearns: So,ย you talked about last year, your rookie year, you drafted in the seventh round.ย There’s no guarantee that you’re going to make this 53-man roster. In fact,ย a lot ofย Draft picks just don’t catch on.ย So,ย you made that firstย incredible cut to theย roster. Howย was that and then what was it like to get that practice squad noticedย after the first game?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Initially, it was really exciting and then after the first week,ย I was really frustrated. Butย it was really important for my growth and like I’ve mentioned earlierย inย our conversation, the adversity piece, like that was some adversity. Andย like I said, I came to the facility every day frustrated, not with the staff but with myself,ย and I just challenged myself and it ended up working out in my favor. Butย I think it was important because up to that point in my career, I had never really been challenged. Like inย Notre Dame,ย I was a captainย inย my senior year. I started for three years. In high school,ย I started likeย pretty much the whole time.ย 

So,ย I think for me,ย it was aย wakeupย call. Like not everything in your football career and in life is just going to be given to you.ย So,ย it was cool. Looking back now,ย it seems like, wow, that was really cool. That was a learning experience. During it,ย I was really frustrated, but I’m definitely thankful for it.ย 

Brad Kearns: Did you feel that it was inequitable, like they didn’t see your skills or weren’t given a chance to perform or did you like screw up in the first game and they yanked you out of the scene or how did that go down?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:No, it was a numbers thing. I had a good first gameย and we just had too manyย D-linemen.ย I mean,ย I’m superย strict with myself though in areas like this. Like even if I did think that they were mistreating me or short changing me, like if I’m in that position, I have toย self-evaluateย no matter what. So,ย regardless of what they were thinking, I had to look at it as an opportunity to capitalize and that’s what I did. But I don’t think they were short changing me or treating me unfairly. I think I needed to get better.ย So,ย I hadย no problem with their decision. I was just frustrated with myself.ย 

Brad Kearns: So,ย the frustration, did it come from that maybe you didn’t work quite as hard as you possibly could have or something where you slipped and you knowinglyย self-evaluateย and reflect?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:I don’t know that it’s ever been a work ethic issue. I think it’s just more of focusing on different areas and changing my attitude. Andย I don’t think I ever came inย theย facility and I was arrogant or pretentious or anything like that.ย But I do think, I mean,ย that’s like a humbling experience to essentially get fired. So,ย I don’t know. I mean, yeah, I don’t know. It’s hard toย give it aย label. Iย justย kind ofย had to likeย self-evaluateย and figure out what needed to change.ย 

Brad Kearns: And so,ย you’re there, you’re part of the entire process but you’re not suiting up for theย games for this period of time that you’re on the practice squad. And does that change every week? Can you be called upon at any time?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah. So,ย you’re always readyย and it’s week to week in the NFL.ย Andย it’s like team to team. So,ย you could get cut from one teamย andย get picked up by the nextย team andย be playing the nextย Sunday for a different team.ย So,ย it’s really fluid.ย 

Brad Kearns: But on the practice squad, you’reย aย property of theย Chargers, so you’re not going to be leaving, you’re just waiting for that opportunity to get called upย toย uniform for the weekend game.ย 

Isaac Rochelle:No, so,ย essentially you are a paid free agent when you are on practice squad. I’m like open for everybody to pick me up. I just didn’t end up getting picked up and like once again, that’s a numbers thing on all teams.ย But it ended up working out. I mean, I didn’t want to leave theย Chargers.ย I like the organization and I likeย the coaches.ย 

Brad Kearns: Right. So,ย I guess is your agent kind of working in a little bit just looking for opportunities if they present themselves while you’re in that limbo status?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Every agent does it different. But I think at the end of the day, it’s just a matter of the player showing upย forย practice, working hardย and just doing what they can do to be ready.ย 

Brad Kearns: So,ย the coaches are seeing this obviously, and you’re hanging on the practice squad with a big smile and the work ethic going through the season. And then what happened towards the end? You got called up?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah. And then I ended up playing the last four games.ย I was inactive for one of the four. And then the first game that I actuallyย likeย played, I got a sack which was superย cool. And yeah, it was just a cool ending to the season.ย 

Brad Kearns: Givingย you a nice boost coming into your second year.ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah, I mean,ย the timing was perfect with it. Butย like all the things, youย just restart. It’s like it’s a new day. The next day after that was a new day.ย I had to restart and just get back to the grind and it’s a new year. Last year for me,ย was a learning experience, but it’sย over. Andย itโ€™sย in my mindย insignificant. What’s significant and importantย is justย the next seven months.ย So,ย it’sย kind ofย just like,ย โ€œAll right, let’s restart.โ€ย 

Brad Kearns: Yeah, I got to say, man, for a young guy to have this type of perspective, to know that you have toย self-evaluateย when you have these frustrations and these things that you didn’t plan on,ย it’s a very rare quality. And I think especially in this day and age whereย โ€ฆย Iย don’t know what to call it. People call it the entitlement generation and these kids are like leaving a job every 11 months because they see a better opportunity. And then they’re blamingย left,ย right and upside down. When things don’t go their way, they have a story to tell.ย 

Itย seems like you did the exact opposite on these occasions when you did experience adversity. And I would call thatย emerging from your senior season as the captain of the Notre Dame football team. And then someone calls you in, whether it was the trainer and saying,ย โ€œDude, at 23, you’re not going to get draftedย –ย 23%, we got to take care of this issue.โ€ And then you plunge right into it and just go forward and have that belief in yourself and that focus and dedication.ย Like who taught you that?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:I think it just goes back to the foundationย that I talked about. Like donโ€™t quit andย work hard.ย So,ย like, you face the adversity,ย โ€œI’m not going to quit, I’m just going to keep grinding. Iโ€™m going toย show up every dayย and when I’m there,ย I’m going to workย hard.โ€ย And like I said, good things happen. And so,ย I just lean on that. But I appreciate youย saying that.ย 

Brad Kearns: I imagine your teammates, especially the veteransย take notice of this and you’re probably highly respectedย for these reasons. Especially,ย probably, you’re seeing some of these folks coming in from NCAA stardom and showing up in the locker room like they already own it.ย So,ย it was probably a breath of fresh air in the locker room, positiveย energy in there.ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah. I mean, I certainly hope so. But regardless, it’s like the same thing though. I mean,ย whatever they think is their opinion. Itโ€™sย just the same old, same old. Iย just got to show up. But I think it is nice. I think it gives people a transparent view of who you are if you’re showing up with a good attitude and you’re workingย hard. Andย I think that’s the most important thing for people to be able to just understand who you are as opposed to coming in with maybe a chip on your shoulder and being a little bit more arrogant. It almost puts up a wall.ย Butย yeah, it’s been interesting with my teammates. I reallyย haveย good teammates though.ย 

Brad Kearns: Yeah,ย I guess when you come across that type of athlete especially, it’s likely that they’re hiding the insecurity behind the arrogance unless they truly areย โ€ฆย I mean,ย maybe if Tom Bradyย is straightย outย arrogant afterย hisย sixย Superbowl ring, you can go,ย โ€œOkay, well,ย whatever.โ€ย But in most cases, you’re probably talking about an incomplete individual rather than a guy who’sย the top of the heat.ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah, I think you’re exactlyย right. It just varies person to person. But in general,ย for theย Chargers, we have some pretty humble guys.ย Like I said, they’re good dudes. So,ย I’ve been happyย with my experience with my teammates.ย 

Brad Kearns: So,ย let’s go back a little bit. I want to ask you some questions about the NCAA experience. And there’s so much controversy these days about the proper way to address this incredible inequity whereby the universities are making tens and hundreds of millions off of the great efforts of the student athletes. And yes, the student athletes are getting free education. But I wonder what your perspective is and if you have any comments, potential solutions to address this issue that’s only getting bigger and bigger as the deals come in.ย UCLAย signed aย $250 million-dollarย deal, I believe withย Under Armourย to outfit the athletes and all the sports and it’s getting to be high stakes.ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah,ย I don’t know. I mean, Iโ€™mย not in that sphere,ย so I don’t have the perfect solution. But if I had to give a solution, I think every player should haveย โ€ฆย one,ย I don’t think any player should get penalized for using their likeness. Two,ย I think every player should have a base pay. That could be a thousand dollars. That could be $10,000. Itย doesn’t really matter. I think there should be a set standard where if you are playing,ย you are going to getย Xย amount of dollars,ย which they kind of have with cost ofย attendance.ย 

Thenย I also think that you should have a player performance whereย the amount that you play, you will have an equivalent pay forย that. Andย at every school,ย that will look different. But I think,ย if you’re on the field and you are contributing to selling out stadiums andย contributing to the game experience, you should be getting some type of pay.ย 

But that’s my opinion. That’s my, like, just thinking about it on my own. I don’t know though. It’s a toughย situation. I don’t think there’s a perfect answer.ย 

Brad Kearns: Dude, that’s so amazing because your solution is almost identical to what I propose. And I’ve thought about it a lot andย itย kind of addresses all the potential detractorsย – the criticism of what you propose.ย 

First ofย all,ย speaking as a former NCAAย Divisionย 1ย cross country runner, I don’t think we were bringing much revenue into the UC Santa Barbara coffers. But then you have a whole different category of athlete who’s playing in a revenue sport,ย so we can focus on them to begin withย and everyone else. They’re getting an education.ย All of that stuffย is a nice, fair trade for the water polo players and the women soccer players.ย 

But when we talk about filling the stadium,ย then you have this issue. And I like how you mentioned that there shouldn’t be any penalty for exploiting your own name and likeness.ย So,ย if you’re good enough in college to do a deal withย Sprite and get yourself on a billboard inย Southย Bend, you should be able to pocket that money. And it seems preposterous from theย old-timeย rules of the NCAA, but I don’t see a downside. Because if you’re not good enough or you’re the third string safety,ย you’re notย going toย get aย Sprite deal, you’re not going to be on the billboard and there’s no problem in any direction.ย 

But it seems like a cool solution to have that pay for playย โ€“ excuse me, didย I say that backwards? It’s play for pay.ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah. I mean, I agree with you. I mean, I think they should open it up a little bit. It’s kind of a joke where guys will say, โ€œI can’t eatย at night.โ€ย There are guys in college who cannotย โ€ฆย they don’t have money to go eat meals and stuff at night. Like it shouldn’t be the way it is, but unfortunately it is. And I think it should definitely change.ย 

Brad Kearns: Love the solution.ย Let’s hold our breath and see if the NCAAย willย comeย around with the pressure. Right now, it’s so disturbing. I mean,ย Josh Rosen, the UCLAย quarterback that was a first roundย Draft pick, he got highly criticized for bothering toย offer up an opinion that maybe there was some exploitation going onย with the college athletes. And everybody thought he was a cry baby and he should just enjoy his free education.ย 

But then when you’re cruising around LAย and you see the city bus go by and it’s his name and likeness, number two, smiling at you with a bigย Under Armour poster, then you start to realize the incredible inequity involved with the leading athletes in the revenue sports.ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah, I mean,ย I think there’s a clear issue. I mean, I think it could not be any more evident thatย schoolsย areย exploiting players. But I think more importantly,ย if the rule doesn’t change, which it probably will not, I think it’s more important for the players to understand that they are being slided,ย and to not just casually go about getting an education.ย Like if I’m only gettingย โ€œpaidโ€ย a piece of paper, then I’m going to make that the best possible piece of paper I can make it.ย 

So,ย I think it’s aย double-edgedย swordย where players need to understand that they are being exploited but don’t allow the school to exploit you. You exploit the school and you get the best education you can. And you challenge your coaches to let you take different classes. And you challenge theย university to do things different.ย 

But it’s a shame that players go to theseย schools and coaches and staffย –ย and I’m not speaking for Notre Dame,ย because our staff was not like this. But they’re letting people influence them to downgrade their educational experience at schools for football,ย and they’re not getting paid.ย 

So,ย it’s kind of interesting because like I said, it is the schoolsโ€™ย issue and it is the NCAAโ€™sย issue, butย players need to not short change themselves. Let’s not haveย self-inflictedย wounds when we already have issues with the NCAA.ย 

Brad Kearns: That’sย well said, man. I could imagineย some kid coming in there and the coach says,ย โ€œHey, if you want to start next year, it would be really great to see you at the 8:00 AM strength training sessions all winter.โ€ Whatever they’re putting in their head thatย deters them from having aย well-roundedย student athlete experience. So,ย good advice, man. That’s great.ย 

Hey Isaac,ย before you go, I want to pick up a little more emphasis on that comment you made about howย ketoย sort of allowed you to leverage into other areas of life with that improved focus and discipline. And especially the wordย โ€œcontrolโ€ย that you used because you describe a lifestyle here as an athlete whereย the team basically owns you and it’s obviously,ย you’re well-compensated and all that great stuff. But it is a lifestyle with minimal freedom in comparison to let’s say your peers from Notre Dame who have graduated,ย are working 40 hours a week,ย and the rest of the time they’re doing whatever they want to do on their jet ski.ย 

So,ย tell us about how that dietary transformationย became a bigger thing than just choosing different meals.ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Yeah. So,ย I think it’s kind of a two-part response. I think the first one is, like you said,ย a lot of our schedules and a lot of the stuff we do is determined by the organization. Like today,ย I just got home. I’ve been doing stuff all dayย at the facility, which is fine because I love my job. But like we have little controlย inย our scheduling. So,ย for me,ย it’s really profound to have control of my diet because it gives me a sense of confidence when I’m going aboutย like myย NFLย experience. Because it’s like I don’t control my schedule. I don’t necessarily control the lifting that I do on there. I don’t control the practice structureย and how my body’s taken care of from that perspectiveย (which theย Chargers do a good job of).ย 

But if nothing else,ย I can control my eating. I’m not going to fuel myselfย withย stuff that’s going to cause inflammation.ย Iโ€™mย not going to fuel myself, that’s going to increase my body fat and slow meย down. Andย I’m not going to fuel myself with sugars, which is just not good for you from any bodilyย perspective.ย 

Thenย on the other side it’s like, allย right/andย anything in life, it’s very important to have control,ย because there’s so many things that go on in life that you can’t control, and stuff that you don’t even know that you can’t control because you don’t know it exists or it’s going on. So,ย it’s like, let me control my eating and let me be disciplined in that way and let me let that spill over and have control over otherย things and have discipline in other areas.ย 

So,ย I just think it’s super important to have confidence that you have control of your eating. Like,ย โ€œThis is mine, I’m taking thisย and I’mย going toย positivelyย affect my body.โ€ย Iย just think there’s a lot that goes into mental healthย from a food perspective. So,ย I don’t know, it’s just been really profound in my life to be able to just like,ย โ€œAll right, this is what I’m doing. I know it gives me good results and I completely control this.โ€ย 

Brad Kearns: Oh, I love that. That’s very powerful.ย It sounds like you’re on thisย โ€ฆย your top priority, you mentioned it a coupleย ofย times was thatย anti-inflammatoryย aspect of theย diet.ย So,ย what are the foods that are working for you and what are the ones that you mostly stay away from to achieve that goal and improve your recovery from stressful training?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:So,ย right now or previously?ย 

Brad Kearns: Yeah, like what’s your latest?ย 

Isaac Rochelle:So,ย lately, like I said, I’ve been doing a lot of plant-based eating. So,ย I still do fish and I still do eggsย because I just like eggs. Theyโ€™reย just a super easy solutionย toย breakfast. Fish,ย I just like fish and it’s not as bad for you as some of the other meats. And for me,ย it started with,ย โ€œLet me cut out dairy for sure,โ€ย because I think that causes inflammation.ย I’m not a scientist, I’ve just done my little bit of research. And then sugar for sure causes inflammation. And there’s tons of research on that.ย So,ย those two things I’ve cut out specifically. And then it just turned into like,ย โ€œWell, if I’m not doing dairy,ย I might as well try to cut out red meat.โ€ย And then it’s like,ย โ€œAll right, well,ย if I’m not eating red meat, I might as well cut out chicken.โ€ย 

So,ย we’ll see what happens. But from what I’ve done in the last month or so, plant-based has given me a lot ofย โ€ฆย it’s not completely plant-based. But my version of plant-basedย has given me a lot ofย energy. Iโ€™veย felt really good and from what I’ve noticed, my inflammation has gone down.ย 

I also have some autoimmune issues that deal with inflammation. And so,ย that was kind of a catalyst to going dairy-free,ย sugar-free and now,ย more plant-based.ย 

Brad Kearns: Clean eating,ย Isaac Rochelle, LA Chargers. Thank you so much for spending the time, man. It’s great to catch up with you. Love your attitude. So incredible. Watch out for number 98. He’s going to sack at any moment. I wish you the best in your second season with theย Chargers. Follow this guy onย Instagram, heโ€™s got some great stuff and just a pleasure. So,ย keep up the good work. Thanks for spending the time with us,ย Isaac.ย 

Isaac Rochelle:Anytime.ย 

Brad Kearns: Let’s talk about Tribali Foods. If you’re super busy and you want a convenient meal to make in a short time, but you don’t want to compromise great taste – gosh, doesn’t that sound like a commercial? It is a commercial, but it’s for something super awesome. And these are frozen organic beef and chicken patties and sliders, with awesome creative flavors like Mediterranean chipotle, Umami with the mushroom mixed in. And also, these sliders, chicken, apple, and pork sage.ย 

What you do, is you take this frozen box, cut with the scissors, the beautiful little premade patty. Drop it on the pan, cook it up and it’s ready in a few minutes. And this company is a real, live, authentic girl power entrepreneur small business success story, home kitchen inspired. Welcome everyone to the new world where the big multinational beasts that make garbage food are getting knocked off by people who care about what they eat and about their health.ย 

Tribali was started by my friend Angelaย Mavridisย in Southern California – lifelong family restaurant business member. She was a vegetarian for 35 years and one day she had a steak, felt great, and started on this path of experimenting with creative ground beef recipes and flavorings in her kitchen. All her friends loved it. She was buying tons of ground meat from Whole Foods and they’re like, โ€œHey, what are you doing with this?โ€ย 

So, she brought them in a little sample. They loved it. They flew her to Texas to meet with the national buyer and they said, literally, โ€œStart a business and we will place a large order.โ€ย 

So, this is a wonderful small business success story with love and attention to everything that goes into this product. Delicious, totally keto-friendly. Go, look at the pork mini sliders. We’re talking one gram of carbs, 11 grams of protein, 17 grams of fat, and you get 15% off.ย 

Just visit tribalifoods.com and enter โ€œGet Over Yourselfโ€ in the coupon field and you are good to go. Shipped directly to your door, cold-packed, frozen stuff, thought out in a day, and you have quick dinner, quick lunch. And also available at finer stores like Whole Foods, Whole Dude’s, Nugget, Natural Grocers, Super Targets and launching into Walmart as well. Good job, go girl! Tribalifoods.com.ย 

Letโ€™s talk about probiotics from Entegro Health. Do you want me to sing the messages? Nah. But probiotics are an extremely important concept. Hopefully, you’re all in on the values, the benefits of nourishing a healthy gut microbiome, so you can flourish in life. And that’s the name of Entegroโ€™s product; Flourish – a unique, extremely potent livingย liquid probiotic. Yes, it’s liquid form. How is it different from other probiotics we usually see in pills? This is the message from Entegro.ย 

Microbes continue to thrive and metabolize in their own [mil-u 01:13:45]. Do you like when companies use the word โ€œmil-uโ€ to describe their product.? I do. These include short chain fatty acids, bioactive peptides, amino acids, enzymes, and minerals. The liquid base makes it acid stable, so microbes can survive the stomach environment and transit to the lower GI tract for integration to give you a healthy gut microbiome.ย 

There’s 11 different strains in this thing, carefully hand-cultivated in the laboratory with precision to deliver 8 billion total CFU. Why take probiotics? Come on, do you have to ask? It’s going to strengthen your immune function, reduce systemic inflammation (the root cause of all disease), improve digestion, promote bowel regularity, relieve gas and bloating, get you going again after illness or antibiotic use.ย 

That’s me, because I first got this shipment the very day I returned home from a Mexican vacation and had a stomach illness once again. What a bummer? So sad, because I love going down south, but I needed to repair and return to action quickly. So, I started guzzling this stuff and had a wonderful return to health. I’m a very enthusiastic user, and will be over the long run because I need all the help I can get. I don’t know about you when we’re talking about our routine usage of antibiotics, the stress we put on our system and in the environment every single day.ย 

I especially notice my gut health is compromised when I engage in overly intensive athletic training, have trouble recovering. My gut is the first thing to go. So, this is my go-to product, the Flourish probiotic in liquid form. Try It yourself. I love the delicious root beer float flavor. Just kidding, man. This stuff is no funny business. This is the real deal. It’s very potent. It tastes fine, it goes down okay. But no root beer float flavors, sorry. Take it, you’ll love it. Go look at Entegrohealth.com for more information, and to order shipped directly to your door in its unique liquid form; Flourish.ย 

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MOFO has been nothing short of an incredible addition to my daily life. After a few days of taking this stuff, I started noticing higher energy levels throughout the day (and focus), increased libido (no joke!!), and better sleep (didnโ€™t expect this at all!), not to mention better performance in the gym. I was finally able to break through a deadlift plateau and pull a 605lb deadlift, more than triple my body weight of 198 pounds! I was astonished because other than the MOFO supplement (and itโ€™s positive, accompanying side effects) nothing else had changed in my daily routine in order to merit this accomplishment. Iโ€™m a big believer in MOFO and personally, I like to double dose this stuff at 12 capsules per day. The more the merrier!”

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