Hester embraces his role as blocking fullback:
Hester eats up new role
Jacob Hester was listed at 5-foot-11, 225 pounds in last season's Chargers media guide. A year later, that description no longer applies.
The second-year fullback has bulked up this offseason to better deal with the blocking responsibilities of his position after spending his final college season as primary rusher.
Hester looks powerful these days, but he hasn't gotten too big for his own good. He's moving well, and the added size doesn't prevent him from being a productive pass catcher and occasional runner out of the backfield.
He proved that during minicamp and the offseason coaching sessions, which concluded for veterans on Thursday.
Hester is more of hybrid back than the prototypical fullback Chargers fans grew accustomed to when Lorenzo Neal lined up in front of LaDainian Tomlinson earlier this decade. And finding that delicate balance between rhino and antelope has been no easy task for Hester.
"There was a time this offseason when I was trying to gain a bunch of muscle for playing fullback," Hester said last week. "But I got to a point where they stopped me and said, 'Don't forget that you still need to run the ball a little bit,' which meant they didn't want me to gain too much weight.
"There's a point where you can get too big and too stiff, and that's when you have to back off a little bit. It's a tough balance, trying to find that ideal weight where you can be versatile and effective, but I feel like we got it done."
Hester's magic number is 240 pounds. Hester rather enjoyed reaching his ideal playing weight, which involved a strenuous workout regimen and a little gluttony.
"It's pretty easy," Hester said. "You go home, let the wife cook and eat 'til you can't eat anymore. Then you work out like crazy and try to turn it into muscle. But in order to maintain the weight you want, you really have to watch your diet."
Hester wants to remain the same over the next few weeks, when there aren't any organized team activities for veterans leading up to training camp in July.
"You definitely don't want to take four weeks off," Hester said. "You have to keep up with the workouts and the learning the play script. Every day, I go through 30 or so plays and figure out exactly what you have to do. There is an offseason and there is some downtime, but you never stop thinking about football."
Hester isn't unique in that regard. Players are constantly preparing for the next season and are always working on something. Chargers strength and conditioning coach Jeff Hurd makes sure of that, tailoring workout plans to maximize skill sets.
It's easier to instruct when students are on campus for minicamps and organized workouts, but Hurd has to trust that his players won't slack off during downtimes such as this.
"The guys have done such a great job to this point that you don't want anyone to slip while they're away," Hurd said. "The goal is to build the foundation throughout the offseason, and while you won't wipe it all out with a few bad weeks, it can cause a player to take a significant step back. That rarely happens because these players are competitors who won't let themselves slack off."
Hurd doesn't feel the need to be a drill sergeant around these professional athletes, letting competitive drive motivate.
"At this level, they understand how important their workouts are to onfield success," Hurd said. "There's so much competition that everyone is trying to push themselves in order to win starting jobs or increase playing time. I don't have to do too much to police them."
Desire has sparked Hester to become bigger, faster and stronger. His goal is to maintain the work he has done and prove himself worthy of a starting spot and such a diverse offensive role when training camp arrives.
"You have to stick with your routine and keep working, even if there isn't outside pressure to do so," Hester said. "Training camp is no learning period. You hit the field running, and it's an all-day, everyday experience during camp. If you're behind, it's tough to catch up."
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