Matt Amendola, NY Jets kicker, is a great guy with great insights to share on fitness, his path to the NFL and life. Here is what he had to say.
What does health and wellness mean to you? “Growing up as a kid, I would eat anything. I would eat pizza, fries, I was a little bit of a ‘chubber’ as a kid until high school and I thought, who do I want to be? I played soccer, started eating right and got active. My mom walks 5 blocks around her neighborhood. That’s her way of staying active. It’s a mindset. Waking up and being thankful that you’re here…that you’re walking, breathing, just being blessed…whatever you have going on in your day. Push yourself to be the best version of yourself. “
How do you stay motivated? “I’m not here by mistake. I’ve worked hard to get to where I’m at. When I was a free agent…working to get to the next level…staying optimistic and being patient that something is going to happen. Maybe today is not the best day, what can I learn from today and how can I get better?”
What is your work out plan? “Create your physique, what fits you the best. Granted, I’m a kicker and people may think legs is my favorite exercise and that’s not the case. Arms, shoulders…I didn’t want to step on the field and have the guys say, hey he’s a kicker…kind of scrawny, it’s cool to step on the field and be one of the guys. It’s good to get a full circuit in. I would recommend not working out until you’re a junior in high school because your body is still developing. Cardio is a great way to start it off. Having confidence is the biggest things you can do when you step into the gym. Showing up and doing your best.”
What nutrition plan do you follow? “When I was training, I was on a protein kick. I was doing a bodybuilder plan. I ate 200 grams of protein a day. All clean, chicken, tuna, broccoli. I ate oatmeal in the morning with peanut butter, almond milk, bananas, and blueberries. Lunch a 3 or 4 egg omelet with spinach and cheese…dinner pasta some days and others rice and chicken. It becomes a habit. They (the Jets) have us working on our own program. They’re looking out for my full safety. It’s about eating the right foods.”
How old where you when you got started in sports? “I was 5 and played soccer. My parents got me into baseball, wrestling and then football when I turned 8. I always had a strong leg as a kid. I didn’t know a lot about football when I was 8 and played. In high school I played soccer and football. There was a camp for kicking in Pittsburg. I grew up in Philly. The camp was 4 hours from me. My dad said, ‘let’s just try this out, just go out there and do your best’, like he always tells me. I didn’t really want to go, I wanted to play soccer. I did really well. I ranked 7th in the country. My senior year, schools reached out and Oklahoma State gave me the opportunity. It’s amazing.”
Jets Play 60: The Jets Play 60 Flag Football Program encourages students’ participation in at least 30 minutes of physical activity in school and 30 minutes outside of school. It’s the largest in-school health and wellness program, empowering students, educators, and parents to work together to build healthier schools and communities. Matt is an active contributor.
Advice for kids: “Go out every day and keep chasing that dream. In the classroom, on the field, be the best version of yourself and have faith that you can do anything. Continue to strive. On and off the field, how do you carry yourself? Just go out there, have a good time and show great sportsmanship. I’m a big believer that when you do something good for someone else, it comes back to you. Be a good Samaritan. I think it’s cool to come out and show these kids that anything is possible. I didn’t even know that I was going to be in this position. God puts us on an interesting path, and we got to go through adversity, at all ages. Kids ask, ‘can we make it to the NFL?’ Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.“
Matt’s life advice: “Always have something that you’re going after, whether it’s a job, or a goal, that you’re doing everything that you can to get there. Never doubt yourself. Be positive. Give glory to God, first and foremost, I wouldn’t be in this position without him. Take everyday with a purpose. “
