Alabama’s Jaheim Oatis opens up about massive weight transformation

By WVUA 23 Sports Reporter Jason Williams

Sophomore defensive lineman Jaheim Oatis has lost nearly 100 pounds since arriving in Tuscaloosa last year. The former four-star out of Columbia, Mississippi, enrolled at the University of Alabama weighing nearly 420 pounds. But over the course of one year, Oatis has gone through a massive transformation.

He started off so high simply because he ate a lot.

“In high school I ate what I wanted,” said Oatis.

Of course, as a member of the Crimson Tide, Oatis began an intense conditioning process, but fixing his diet was another major consideration.

Oatis said he worked with Alabama Performance Nutrition Director Amy Bragg, who had Oatis trade in his favorite fried foods for mostly baked or grilled meat and tons of vegetables.

“She took away the bread, the rice,” Oatis said. “I eat a lot of vegetables, salads, baked chicken, shrimp, a lot of grilled foods.”

Oatis is getting ready to enter his second season with Alabama and said he’s feeling a lot better than he was last year.

“I’m breathing good, practicing better,” he said. “When I had all that weight on me it was a lot. But now that I lost all that, I feel better.”

And the loss isn’t without its benefits, he said.

“I move way faster than what I did back in high school,” he said. I got quicker on my feet.”

Oatis started in 10 games last past season and collected 29 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack. He also earned Freshman All-SEC honors.