GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) – Ruffin McNeill is lurking around the East Carolina practice fields with better mobility and a smaller frame.
The 52-year-old coach has lost about 130 pounds following weight-loss surgery in January and hip-replacement surgery in April. He no longer relies on a golf cart to get around at practice and feels good enough to take daily walks in the summer heat, sometimes as long as 90 minutes.
McNeill, a former Pirates defensive back, peaked at 388 pounds.
McNeill says he has more energy and a clearer mind. He also says he “never realized how much pain I was in until I didn’t have the pain.”
Inside receivers coach Donnie Kirkpatrick said seeing McNeill is “like going back in time” and that the coach is setting a good example for his players.
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