Nate Newton

Cowboys offensive lineman, 1986-98
Nickname: The Kitchen
Career Stats: click here

Breakdown: Gigantic offensive lineman was often mocked for his Shamu-like physique, but Newton was a six-time Pro Bowler who spent four or five years as one of the NFL’s elite run blockers.

Pearlman’s take: I’ve been asked often, “So how big is Nate Newton these days?” Answer: Really, really BIG. We met at a Dallas Starbucks, and Newton struggled to slide into a relatively wide seat. That said, Newton is a true character—huge laugh, wonderful storyteller and a man who passionately defends all things ’90s Cowboys. Though he regrets some of his own off-field misdeeds, Newton says, “I wouldn’t change a thing. I really would not.”

From Boys Will Be Boys: Of all his difficulties, the one that brought Newton the most fame—and grief—was weight. Upon arriving at an offseason session, Newton tipped the scales at 368 pounds—more than 40 pounds overweight. Not that it came as a surprise. Early in his career Tex Schramm loaded Newton’s contract with a tasty incentive: Report under 310 pounds and earn an extra $80,000. Newton failed. “I know, I’m a fool,” he says. “But if someone offers you $80,000 to be unhappy, you shouldn’t take it. So fuck $80,000. I’d rather eat.” (Says former Cowboys lineman John Gesek: “Quite frankly, the reason I think Nate went to six Pro Bowls was because his weight was such a joke it got him attention.”) Once, during a game, Newton was blocking an opposing pass rusher when a Snickers bar popped out of his uniform. “I was like, “Did a damn candy bar just fly from Nate’s body or am I imagining things?” says Larry Brown. Two or three nights per week during training camp Newton would make a rookie walk down the street and return with a 60-piece box of Popeye’s fried chicken, biscuits, french fries and a case of Budweiser. “Whoever was hungry would take some pieces,” recalls Stepnoski of the ritual. “Then Nate would eat the last 15–20 pieces himself.”