OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce lost over 20 pounds in five weeks to be ready for the first day of training camp Thursday.
After being sent off the field at last month's minicamp for being overweight, Pierce hired a chef, spoke to the team's nutritionist and ran every day. Currently around 360 pounds, Pierce passed Baltimore's conditioning test and made some plays during his first practice of the year.
"Like I told my teammates, I really apologize for letting them down, and [that] has never been indicative of my character to come in out of shape," Pierce said after practice.