Eagles Offensive Line's Nude Appearance In ESPN The Magazine Sparks Conversation About Men And Their Body Image
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It's Eagles players like you've never seen them before. Five offensive linemen dropped their uniforms to pose nude for ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue.
Some look at the magazine issue as empowering to all men, not just athletes.
According to Lane Johnson, it was his idea to grace the Body Issue, and he was tasked with recruiting four of his linemates.
The idea was to celebrate camaraderie and break any stigmas about the "O-line body."
Under the jerseys and the pads are the bodies that brought the region their first Super Bowl. And some of those bodies are now on full display.
Five members of the Eagles' offensive line showed off their championship builds, leaving little to the imagination.
The spread includes Johnson, Jason Kelce, Brandon Brooks, Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Isaac Seumalo.
Nude Photos Of Eagles Offensive Linemen In ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue Released
In the issue Johnson told ESPN "there's a whole stigma behind the O-line body, but as you can see, some of these guys are pretty well-built, strong guys. I just wanted to put that out there and see how it settles."
There has been an effort to tackle the stigma of certain body types in recent years, but mostly as it pertains to women. Plus-sized models like Ashley Graham and Hunter McGrady have risen to fame in celebration of the body positivity movement.
"Traditionally, men haven't been permitted to speak out about their own body image," clinical psychologist Dr. Valerie Braunstein said.
Braunstein says men too can benefit from seeing images that show a broad range of body types.
"If the athletes come out and say 'we feel good in our own bodies and our bodies are how they are' and lay them out there, that could be a positive role model," she said.
"You don't need the whole six pack and muscles," one woman said.
In terms of advertising, there is a rising movement for brawn models, which celebrate full-bodied men.
"Honestly, I never thought about it too much. I'm just comfortable with how I look so I don't know," one man said.
Some might argue that women have received more pressure from society to look a certain way. But feeling comfortable enough to bare it all is something everyone deserves to feel.