J.J. Watt: 9,000 calories a day

It's hard for J.J. Watt to maintain his body frame. That's what happens when you're a 290-pound freight train with one destination: The quarterback.

To keep up his muscle-bound body, Watt eats as many as 9,000 calories a day. For the dynamic pass rusher to reach his caloric goals, he devours two breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners daily.

Eating that much is tough, even for an NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Watt admitted to NFL Network that he has to "force" himself to eat. If only everyone was so lucky.

Not every player in the NFL eats quite like Watt, though.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Arian Foster: Vegan

Watt's teammate in Houston eats a little bit differently. Arian Foster is a practicing vegan who has received heat for his eating habits. His superior play on the field has proven that a plant-based diet can work in today's NFL. Foster said he does eat an occasional chicken breast.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Tom Brady: Bizarre eating habits

Tom Brady has been able to continue to play at a high level in the NFL because of his ability to stay healthy.

To maintain his health, Brady adheres to an unbelievably strict diet.

According to his personal chef Allen Campbell, Brady isn't allowed to eat white sugar or flour, caffeine, dairy or drink coffee.

Campbell added that Brady doesn't even fruit either.

But what is Brady allowed to eat then?

Tom Brady: What he's allowed to eat

Tom Brady's diet restricts a lot of what he can eat, but Campbell explained what the star QB is actually allowed to devour.

According to Campbell, 80 percent of what Brady eats is vegetables. In addition, Brady is allowed to eat whole grains: brown rice, quinoa, and beans. On the meat side, Brady ingests grass-fed organic steak, duck, chicken and wild salmon.

Sam Bradford: Thrice the fun

Quarterbacks are a superstitious bunch. Meet Sam Bradford, Eagles quarterback, who must eat everything in threes. It started in high school for Bradford. He said, "We'd always have the same waitress and she'd always bring us three peppermints. One night we didn't have that waitress and we didn't get any peppermints." Get the man his peppermints!

Nick Hardwick: Lost 85 pounds

Freshly retired Nick Hardwick exemplifies why it's so hard to be an offensive lineman in the league today. On a normal day, Hardwick would consume nearly 2,400 calories in protein shakes alone, a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, along with his normal meals. Once Hardwick retired from the league, he promptly lost 85 pounds in six months.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Chad Ochocinco: McDonald's

While on the HBO show Hard Knocks, Chad Ochocinco was routinely shown munching on McDonald's, a highly unusual diet for a well-maintained athlete. On his eating habits, Ochocinco said, "Eat what you want to eat and work out the way you're supposed to, and it's not going to bother you."

(Photo: Getty Images)

Matt Kalil: 7,000 calories a day

J.J. Watt laughs at Matt Kalil's 7,000 calories a day "diet," but that's still almost four times more than an average person intakes. The Vikings offensive lineman downs a 1,200 calorie protein shake before he hits the hay every night. Kalil said if he wasn't in the NFL, he'd probably be a svelte 220 pounds with a beach bod.

Cory Redding: 7 meals a day

Cory Redding is a defensive lineman who must keep up his weight to play in the NFL.

Redding has said that he's eaten as many as seven meals a day to maintain his playing weight.

As Redding has grown older, he's cut back to four to five meals a day, which include his favorite meal: steak and potatoes.

(Photo: USATSI)

Rashad Jennings: He's fuel efficient

Instead of counting calories, Giants running back Rashad Jennings wants to make sure what he puts in his body is "fuel efficient."

Jennings eats three to four main course meals a day, along with snacks and recovery shakes.

(Photo: USATSI)

Jeff Saturday: Super Bowl feast

As an NFL center who played with Peyton Manning, Jeff Saturday consumed about 8,000 calories a day during his playing days. Saturday ate three meals (two breakfasts) and a pre-game snack all before kickoff. Following the game, there's a massive buffet that the players take full advantage of.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Steve Weatherford: A whole lotta protein

Steve Weatherford -- a punter -- might be the most ripped player in the NFL with his 5.5 percent body fat. To keep up his unreal physique, Weatherford gets about 200 grams of protein per day from egg whites, lean turkey and whey protein. For us normal folk, the FDA's daily recommendation is 50 grams for a 2,000-calorie diet.

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Donald Driver: Pre-dinner feast

When Donald Driver was growing up, food was hard to come by. So once the 172-pound wide receiver made it to Green Bay, he ate everything. Seriously, everything. He said he ate anything "from fried food to fried chicken wings," and his pre-dinner meal was two Wendy's cheeseburgers, fries and a large frosty, before family dinner time, of course.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Tony Gonzalez: Eats clean

Now retired, Tony Gonzalez had to eat extremely healthy to play football for 17 grueling seasons. The former tight end's diet was 80 percent plant based, while the other 20 percent was for meats and fish. Gonzalez also was on a strict no dairy diet, and ate red meat about once a month.

(Photo: Getty Images)