The average NFL lineman weighs 315 pounds. The average NFL lineman is 6 ft 5. They are by far the tallest and heaviest players on the football field!
The tallest NFL player of all time was defensive tackle Richard Sligh. Richard Sligh was 7 ft 0 and 300 pounds. The giant played for 1 season in 1967 for the Oakland Raiders when they made it to the Super Bowl before eventually losing to the Green Bay Packers.
The heaviest NFL player of all time is Aaron Gibson who was 410 pounds when he played in the NFL from 1999 to 2006. Unfortunately for the massive offensive tackle his career was plagued by injuries which may have been caused by his enormous weight.
Are NFL Linemen the Biggest Football Players?
NFL linemen are by the far the heaviest and tallest players in football. The average NFL lineman is 6 ft 5 and weighs 315 pounds. While the average NFL player is 6 ft 2 and 245 pounds.
| NFL | lbs |
| Offensive Line | 315 |
| Linebacker | 245 |
| Quarterback | 225 |
| Running Back | 214 |
| Wide Receiver | 200 |
| Defensive Back | 200 |
Are NFL Linemen Bigger Than College Football Linemen?
NFL linemen on average are 20 pounds heavier than college football linemen (315 vs 295 pounds). NFL linemen are also a little taller at 6 ft 5 while college football linemen stand at 6 ft 3.5.
NFL linemen are picked from the very best college football players so it is not surprising that they are slightly taller and heavier. Also when rookie linemen get to the NFL strength and conditioning immediately supercharge their diets and get them in the weight room. The result is NFL linemen quickly pack on some extra meat!
Are NFL Linemen Getting Bigger?
NFL linemen have gone through an incredible transformation over the history of American football. Back in the 1900s NFL linemen were only 180 pounds, 20 pounds smaller than the average American man in 2022!
Amazingly, linemen in the early 1900s who were over 200 pounds were considered genetic freaks. Back in 1907 people would come from all across the country to witness the Nesser brothers play. These hulking brothers weighed 210 pounds and were famous for driving their opponents into the dirt!
Slowly but surely they started getting bigger as linemen began hitting the weight room and eating lots and lots of food. NFL linemen drastically changed in the 1960s and 1970s when the average weight soared over 200 pounds and by the 70s the average weight was close to 250 pounds.
The weight of NFL linemen only continued to rise in the 1980s thanks to the widespread use of anabolic steroids and advancement in sports nutrition and weight lifting programs. By 1985 the average weight of NFL linemen was 275 pounds!
In the 2010s the average weight of NFL linemen increased again and now sits at 315 pounds. This is in part to the average height of NFL linemen increasing to 6 ft 5 and young players being developed at an increasingly young age. 12 year olds are now being scouted and put through world class weight lifting and sports nutrition programs.
How Many Calories Do NFL Linemen Eat?
NFL linemen typically need to eat a minimum of 5000 calories just to maintain their weight. Linemen with faster metabolisms or who need to put on extra weight will eat 6000 and sometimes 7000 calories!
Due to the sheer size of NFL linemen and the amount of intense exercise they perform it is actually very challenging for them to maintain their size. They often need to force feed themselves and eat extremely calorie heavy meals.
What Do NFL Linemen Eat?
NFL linemen need to consume lots of calories and protein. A typical NFL lineman day of eating includes:
- Breakfast: 6 eggs, 8 ounces of red meat, a bowl of fruit, a bowl of oatmeal
- Lunch: 10 ounces of meat, big bowl of rice, salad and fruit
- Dinner: 20 ounces of meat, big bowl of rice, two servings of vegetables
- Snacks: Protein bars, protein shakes
Some NFL lineman like 3 scoops of weight gainer protein, fruits, ice cream, ice and then blend it all up to create a 1000 + calorie shake!