Revis Stuns Teammates By Wearing Layer After Layer In 100-Degree Temps
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) — Darrelle Revis might be the hottest man in the NFL — literally.
The New York Jets star cornerback routinely practices in a dark sweatshirt — one of at least three layers — and sweatpants, no matter the weather. Even when the heat index has temperatures soaring over 100 degrees, as they were this weekend, and the air is so thick you can hardly breathe.
"I know, people think I'm crazy," Revis said after a steamy practice Sunday. "Everybody does."
While sweat-drenched fans gathered in the metal bleachers are hoping for the occasional warm breeze to provide a respite from the blazing heat, there's Revis on the practice field dressed as if it's mid-November.
"It's just putting myself in the worst-case scenario, in terms of the heat, making it the worst possible," he said. "If I'm able to overcome this, I think in a game, it would be fairly easy or at least a little bit easier for me."
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The 5-foot-11, 198-pound Revis estimates he loses 6 or 7 pounds in water weight through a typical practice. He'll start the morning by chugging bottles of water and then again right before practice starts.
Coach Todd Bowles prefers to have his players work during the hottest part of the day, calling it "the dog days of training camp." Revis takes advantage of the extreme heat to quickly get himself in regular-season shape.
"During practice, you feel it, but when you're done, that's when you really pay attention to your shirt just being drenched," he said. "I mean, it's completely soaked. It's like you jumped in the hot tub or a swimming pool or something and you're like, 'Holy cow.'
"Obviously, the results I think are good because by the end of practice you're like, 'OK, I did something today' because you're so drenched."
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Who's to argue with a seven-time Pro Bowl pick and five-time first-team All-Pro selection who has been considered one of the greatest to play his position?
Well, other than some teammates who are downright dumbfounded by all the layers. Some players, such as fellow cornerbacks Dexter McDougle and Dee Milliner, might wear long sleeves or long pants, but none have both like Revis.
"Ryan Clady said something to me yesterday like, 'You're a savage for wearing all that stuff,'" Revis said, laughing. "The coaches even look at me crazy. Everyone's like: 'You have too much gear on! What are you doing? You look old, man!'"
On Saturday, Revis had the whole getup going — sweatshirt, short-sleeved pullover jacket and sweatpants — while temperatures hit the low-100s. In similar conditions Sunday, he ditched the sweatpants for compression stockings under his shorts but still had a couple of toasty layers under his jersey.
"The only reason I didn't wear the sweatpants today was because yesterday as I sweated, the sweatpants were just so soaked that they were starting to become heavy," he said. "I was out there trying to cover guys and my pants were actually sagging off my butt because they were so heavy from sweat."
Some of his teammates razzed him, pointing out that they might not have ever seen him wearing shorts.
Revis said Jets head athletic trainer John Mellody constantly monitors players' weights, so he's not afraid he's losing too many pounds too quickly. Staying hydrated is the key to avoiding cramps — or worse. Despite sweating his way through practices his entire NFL career, Revis has never needed to leave the field to get intravenous fluids.
"Trust me, it's definitely hot," he said. "But, at the same time, if I can concentrate under those kinds of circumstances, I would think it would be fairly easy come Sundays."
Revis has always been regarded by teammates and coaches as perhaps the most competitive player they've ever seen in a practice, let alone a game. He strives for perfection on the field and can't stand getting beat. Both he and the similarly competitive Brandon Marshall got into it last week when they butted heads during a few plays.
Preparation is the key, Revis insists, to achieving what he has on the field. As a high school football star growing up in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, Revis often worked out with Patriots cornerback Ty Law — and what the youngster saw left an impression.
"Ty would want to run like 4 miles down the street and you would sit there and think he's nuts because he would have a sweat jacket on, a long-sleeved shirt and sweatpants," Revis said. "I would look at him, like: 'Dude, aren't you hot? You might pass out.'"
Sure enough, once Revis came to New York as the 14th overall draft pick in 2007, he adopted a similar approach.
"You want to talk about fashion on the football field, that's kind of my fashion look out there," he said, laughing. "It works out for me."
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