Isaac Rochell: Taking Control of His Diet and His Destiny In The NFL

Los Angeles Charger defensive end Isaac Rochell is a second year player out of Notre Dame. He has an incredibly empowering and evolved mindset for such a young athlete; unlike many in the athletic scene, he seems 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 the third round of the NFL draft by the LA Chargers. Isaac talks about his development as a young athlete and how he ended up at Notre Dame (“my mom made me visit, and I fell in love with the place, especially the tradition”), his emphasis on getting a degree (I wasn’t going all the way to cold South Bend and not finish with a degree…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!”).  

After surviving the dreaded 53-man cut at training camp, Isaac details the first true adversity he experienced as an athlete—being relegated to the practice squad early in the season. While many young athletes coming from the stardom of high school and college might make complaints and excuses, Isaac explains that, “I was definitely frustrated, but you have to self-evaluate in these situations.” This empowering mindset and work ethic were Isaac’s most lauded attributes by the NFL scouts. Asked how he made it all the way to the highest level of sport, Isaac relates: “Step one is just showing up, and then working hard when you get there.” Simple as that! 

Isaac also talks about how the focus and discipline he applied to his ketogenic diet and physique transformation delivered benefits in many other areas of his life. In particular, it gave him a sense of control in a world where team sport professional athletes don’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.