Wisconsin kicker Gaglianone ‘strong again’ after offseason weight loss

6:14 PM ET

MADISON, Wis. — There have been days this offseason in which Wisconsin kicker Rafael Gaglianone wished he could bury his face in a mound of carbohydrates, eschewing fish and tasteless salads for bread and soda. But each time Gaglianone’s cravings crested, he reminded himself why he took the pledge to diet in the first place: to become an elite-level Big Ten kicker once again.

“Obviously it’s not the easiest life when you’re eating stuff you don’t like at night,” Gaglianone said. “You’re eating salads without dressing and you’re like, ‘Man, this blows.’

“But at the same time, you’re looking at the big picture. The only thing coaches kept preaching to me was just get one percent better. Be one percent better than you were yesterday. I think back to my kicks. If it was like one percent better, maybe I don’t hit the post.”

Rafael Gaglianone made losing weight an offseason priority. Mike McGinnis/Getty Images

That mindset has allowed Gaglianone to stick with a plan presented to him by his coaches in early January, to avoid carbs, eat lean protein and stay regimented. As a result, Gaglianone’s weight has plummeted from a high last season of 247 pounds down to 224 pounds, he said. For the 5-foot-11 Brazilian with the powerful right leg, less weight has meant more leg speed and confidence with his junior season approaching.

It also means he is likely to draw some double takes come next season, according to his coach.

“Fans might not recognize him,” Badgers coach Paul Chryst said. “He’s done a great job. That’s where all the things off the field do carry over on the field. He’s lost 20, 25 pounds. What that means to kicking, I really don’t know. …

continue reading in source espn.go.com