Ex-Giant QB Jared Lorenzen, At 500 Pounds, Battles To Slim Down

When the New York Giants signed undrafted Kentucky QB Jared Lorenzen after the 2004 NFL draft, they knew they were getting a guy who did not fit the prototypical signalcaller size at 285 pounds.

Lorenzen struggled with his weight his entire time with the Giants. Today, he faces an even larger struggle as he has ballooned to 500 pounds.

Lorenzen just announced on his Facebook page a new weight loss regiment he is calling “The Jared Lorenzen Project” where currently he tips the scale at just over 500 pounds.

Lorenzen’s stay with the Giants was short-lived. He appeared in only two games his first two seasons, but after a stellar preseason in 2006 was named Eli Manning’s backup. The first time he saw actual playing time was in a December road game against the Washington Redskins in which he was inserted to run a QB sneak on a third-and-one.

He began 2007 as Eli’s backup again but saw limited action. In the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, when Eli became injured in the fourth quarter, Lorenzen was inserted and played out the remainder of the contest in a 45-35 loss. His official stats are eight pass attempts and completed four with 28 yards, one sack and zero first downs.

After the season, the Giants waived him.

From there he was signed by the Kentucky Horsemen Arena League team where he played a single season before taking a high school coaching position. He went back to the playing field in 2011 with the North Kentucky River Monsters indoor squad where his playing weight was listed as 320. He also suited up for the Owensboro Rage before the club folded and then a second stint with the River Monsters.

That is where his playing days came to a gruesome halt. While rolling out to his left with a defensive play bearing down on him, upon his release of the pass, the direct hit shattered his ankle. It took four linemen to carry him off the field.

And now, his faces a new quest at age 36. And while this new project may indeed inspire others, it should ultimately save his own life.