Ever since Daryl discovered football – sometime around junior high - he’s considered his size to be a gift. But more recently he feels he’s moved outside the acceptable range, even for a guy who wants to play offensive line. His lowest adult weight ever was 285 lbs - but last year he hit his all-time high. Gaining the weight was part of an emotional spiral in the wake of his mother’s cancer diagnosis. After her death, Daryl bottomed out. He battled serious depression, piled on the pounds, and temporarily shelved his football dreams.

Daryl wants to make up for lost time. He knows he dropped the ball in the pursuit of his dream – now he’s determined to play in the big leagues if only it’s not too late. But first he has to get back down to fighting trim (approximately 280 pounds), before anyone can assess whether he has what it takes to make it in professional football. Time’s a-wasting and Daryl not only wants to fulfill a promise to himself – he wants to prove to the rest of the world that it can be done. Daryl wants “to be an inspiration”

Like Cory, Daryl needs help managing his eating in relation to shift work. But Daryl’s biggest challenge is the sheer magnitude of his size – he knows it’s important not get demoralized along the way. He’s not only aiming to take off the weight, he is striving for the fitness level of an elite athlete. Even his fallback career option (applying to the police force) has daunting physical standards. The local recruiting office (for the Edmonton Police Service) has the toughest fitness requirements of any force in Canada.

“In the next six months, I can see a chance to play football. I still have eligibility and it’s a big unfinished chapter in my life.” “I want to be the guy where … in the before-and-after photos at six months people are going to be, like, crazy!”