Louisville football: Mekhi Becton ‘the most excited he’s ever been’
Former Louisville offensive tackle, Mekhi Becton, was drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. The New York Jets selected the 6-foot-7, 363-pound tackle with the 11th overall pick. Unfortunately, Mekhi Becton has had his fair share of battles with knee injuries.
During the 2021 season, he suffered a knee injury and was carted off the field. Becton would be out for 4-6 weeks and would be placed on injured reserve soon after his diagnosis. The following season, he suffered an avulsion fracture of his right kneecap, which forced him to miss the entire season.
But now, all of that is behind him, and is more excited and healthier than ever to protect the blindside of future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
"“I don’t want to look too far ahead, but I definitely feel way more confident than I’ve felt these past three years,” Becton said. “I feel like we’re going to win a lot of games, have a lot of fun, and just the energy and vibe with the players at the facility is uplifting.”"
An exciting perspective to hear (subscription required) from the former first-round pick who has battled physically and mentally over the past few seasons. A host of injuries have kept him sidelined, but now he has changed his offseason routine and is ready to go.
After a consultation with a former Jets’ offensive lineman, Cameron Clark, Mekhi Becton was encouraged by Clark to talk to his agent, Alan Herman, who is the founder of SportStar. Becton and Herman were also joined by Parisi Speed School owner Rich Sadiv. Sadiv and Becton hit it off and agreed to work together.
Sadiv prepared an offseason regime that would help nurture his knee back to full health but also reduce his weight. At one point, Becton was nearly 400 pounds and would need to shed some weight to take on the NFL field.
Approaching such a sensitive situation with an elite athlete required an extension of love, which is exactly what Rich Sadiv offered.
"“Everyone is motivated by different things,” Sadiv said. “Some people need to be encouraged. Some people need a push. Everybody needs different stimuli. Once I figured out what he needed the most, I was able to apply it in a one-on-one setting.”“He needed someone to say to him, ‘You can do this. You’re an elite athlete. You’ll always be an elite athlete, and I’m going to show you how to be an elite athlete.’ He just needed reinforcement of who he really is. He’s not, ‘Oh, you’re going to eat yourself out of the league. You’re a 400-pound bust.’ He didn’t need to hear that. What he needed to hear was the truth.”"
After working out with Sadiv for three months, Becton has lost over 50 pounds. Now, he is primed and ready to contend for the Jets’ starting left tackle position, which he lost to George Fant after going down with his injury.