Jay Ajayi has come a long way from his days of drinking giant jars full of pickle juice on the Boise State sidelines; now in his second season with the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, the fourth-year running back has developed more upscale methods of fighting off cramps. This past offseason, Ajayi hired personal chef Nol Foretia to more closely regulate his nutritional intake, and today Foretia coordinates each of Ajayi's meals with the team’s training staff while also finding ways to expand his client’s palette. We sat down with Ajayi to hear more about what he uses to hydrate better, how having a personal chef helps him manage his playing weight, and what tricks finally got him to embrace eating vegetables.

GQ: How long were you able to celebrate the Super Bowl win before it was time to get back to work?Jay Ajayi: I got to celebrate for a few weeks before it was time to get ready for my spring training. That celebration was very good. Obviously, it came a lot later in the year, so not too long, though. It’s tough to keep a steady, consistent diet when you’re traveling. I was eating out a lot and enjoying going to restaurants—I like Asian cuisine and Hispanic foods, and I love steakhouses. Those were the types of places I was eating during that time.

What went into your decision to hire a chef during the offseason?For me, it came to a point where I wanted to be more of a pro off the field, and take better care of my body. What’s a better way to take care of my body than to make absolutely sure I’m eating right? I was able to get a chef who can work with the team on my nutrition—he's been a great help to me. Especially by introducing vegetables to my diet. I never used to eat veggies before.

I struggle with veggies myself. How did he get you to eat them?I think it’s the way that he seasons them that helps make them flavorful. Usually, he’ll put the vegetables with a dish that I like, and that makes it easier to want to eat them. Now, when I go to the facility and I’m in the cafeteria, I’ll get vegetables on my own, just from what he’s done for me! I'm trying to make that push.

Before hiring a chef, were you more dependent on the team for your nutritionist services?It was more me eating...what I wanted to eat. There were certain foods that I liked, and I would just try not to go overboard while watching my weight. I feel like it's been better to be on a diet where overall nutrition is accounted for. Now there’s a reason for me to be eating what I’m eating.

I wasn’t eating fast food or anything like that—I would eat at nice restaurants. But I think the biggest things now are monitoring the calorie intake and not overeating, and having the right serving sizes. That’s all helping me with my weight and keeping me lean. And since Chef Nol is in touch with the training staff—if I need to keep my weight down or I need to bulk up—that’s where he’s been the most helpful.

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Is it a big adjustment to have your food portions measured now?It’s not too bad. I still know that when I’ll be having my meals, I’ll enjoy them. Luckily for me, I’m not over my weight, so I don’t have to eat really small portions. I can still eat a solid portion of food. He’s done a short rib and a sweet-potato casserole that was ridiculous. I don’t even like fish, but he did this sea bass meal that was crazy. He’s been helping me out with variety. He makes this one salad with fruit in it, too—it's amazing.

In college, you went viral for drinking pickle juice on the sidelines to prevent cramping. Has your hydration become more sophisticated since then?That helped me a lot in college, because I do have issues with cramping. As a professional, we've been able to combat that tendency with a better diet, too. I still have to do a bit extra to keep myself ready during games. But not having to rely on pickle juice was always the goal. Now that I'm in the league, it’s all about doing the little things to keep myself hydrated.

I also heard that your grandmother can throw down and that her Nigerian dishes are a favorite of yours.Oh, yeah! Shout out to my grandma. She holds it down. Usually, when my parents come out for a game, my mom and grandma will throw down and make Nigerian dishes, all fresh. That’s one of my favorite foods. Jollof rice is my favorite, and sometimes they’ll make some wings, too. It's a really good meal.

What’s your game-day routine look like?Usually, in the morning, I’ll eat a regular breakfast: eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, and maybe a waffle or pancakes. I like to have a good breakfast on game days because I don’t like to eat too much as it gets closer to kickoff. If our game is later in the day, I’ll have a light lunch of pasta or some other source of carbs. Postgame is provided by the team most of the time. If it’s a home game, sometimes I'll go out for a meal on my own, and that’s whatever I’m feeling.

What does your week look like after a game day?Rest! You have to block off time for your massages, and the different therapists and trainers that help with your body. You want to let your body rest so that it’s ready to go during the week.

Have you been taking notes when Chef Nol is around?Oh, yeah! I already knew how to cook for myself from college, but having a chef now is great when I get home from a long day of practice and I’m tired. I sometimes take notice of how he does certain things so that when I’m off on my own, even if I may not have all the ingredients, I’ll be able to help myself.

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