Chris Myers

Chris Myers – living (and loving) the dad life. (Photo: Sofía van der Dys)

AN INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS MYERS: BEING A HUSBAND AND FATHER KEEPS CHRIS MYERS HEALTHIER THAN ANY GAME EVER COULD

If you think being the center of a football’s offense is a tough job, you should see what it’s like being a father of four (all under seven). No one knows both of those job descriptions better than Chris Myers, former Houston Texan and now full-time dad. Myers had a successful career in the NFL spanning a decade (seven seasons with Houston, never missing a game), but realized his heart was with his family and helping others. Myers says he’s a very hands-on father and husband and never ashamed to tell people what he does with his spare time now. “I’ve been blessed where we are in life and want my kids to feel their parents are there for every accomplishment they reach,” he says.

The two-time Pro Bowler quickly realized retiring from the sport isn’t an easy road. “I’m an open book in regards to bringing to light what guys go through when ending their NFL career. It’s a bumpy road if you aren’t grounded in your life away from the field. I am lucky with a family that has always supported and kept me in a place where I was needed more than football needed me,” he shares. Myers is only a fraction of his former playing weight (he dropped 35 lbs in three months after retiring), and is focused on leading a healthy lifestyle – not just for himself, but his family.

“I never had a goal weight but wanted to change my diet and live a cleaner lifestyle. I am involved with a foundation called Blue Cure that promotes lifestyle changes that can help prevent cancer risk down the road. It has opened my eyes to how a lot of society is blinded to what we are doing to our bodies without even knowing it,” he says.  “Your body is a machine and if you put bad fuel into it it’s going to perform like it,”he says.

Myers hits the gym about 4 times a week, just in a different capacity. He works closely with Dose Khan, Leo Johnson and Jeremy Davis at Nine Innovations (the gym Arian Foster and brother Abdul helped start). “They helped transform the way I train to fit my lifestyle after ball. Focusing on cardio, core stability and stabilization has really helped me get in the best shape possible considering the shape my body is in from 10 years in the NFL,” he says. The competitive edge of the NFL may be in his rearview mirror, but Myers has found competition within himself. “I try to beat my previous time on a specific run. Challenging yourself keeps a sense of competitiveness in your routine. That’s one of the things you lose when you retire – the test of competition every day. Implementing it into other areas of your life helps more than you can imagine,” he adds.

Thinking about his workouts now vs. his playing days, he laughs. “I preached I would never be a guy to run miles upon miles. Fast-forward a year into retirement and I run multiple miles every day. For me it really is the best way to get to where I want to be in regards to being in shape,” he says. His perfect Saturday: golf when possible, taking the kids to the park, tee ball and the Zoo.

It’s not all organic shopping and hill sprints that create a healthy lifestyle for Myers.  “Life is full of negativity and if you can provide positive energy and approach life with a glass half-full mentality, I’m a firm believer karma will come back around,” he says.

KICKER: We asked Myers to fill in the blank: I wish more people in the world would PAY IT FORWARD.

The Myers family: Jenny, his wife, Makenna 6, Cailin 4, Keane 3, and Conor 1.

This article appeared in the April 2016 print issue (the Health and Wellness issue) of LOCAL Houston Magazine. Click here to see the online version.