Florida football nutritionist getting rave reviews: What’s she got cooking for the Gators? – Gatorsports.com

If you are what you eat, Gervon Dexter would have been a Twinkie. A 313-pound one, at that.

He liked to snack away, comforted by the knowledge that the calories likely would melt away at football practice. And when youre 6-foot-6, you can carry a few more Twinkies than the average guy.

But after two seasons, Dexter knew he needed more than bulk to play defensive tackle at an NFL-prospect level. He needed to get quicker.

Enter Kelsee Gomes, the new queen of Floridas Kitchen.

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Her title is actually director of sports nutrition football. When Billy Napier was introduced as head coach, he said hed bring in an army to help revive the Gators program. And you know what they say about that?

An army marches on its stomach.

Napoleon supposedly coined the phrase 200 years ago, long before Nick Saban started hiring individual chefs for offense, defense and special teams. Whether its the French Imperial Army trying to take over Europe or Napiers army trying to capture the SEC, it all begins with happy bellies.

Based on early reviews, the Gators' bellies are very happy with Gomes.

Shes a rock star, strength coach Mark Hocke said.

She like oil for a car, Demarkcus Bowman tweeted, so without that oil that car aint gonna crank.

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Gomes was hired from North Carolina, where she was in charge of 28 sports. Shed worked as an assistant nutritionist here during Will Muschamps days, but what really attracted her back was the singularity of her mission.

Its all football, though Florida has five nutritionists for other sports. Gomes could also hire two full-time assistants just for football.

The whole sports nutrition business has exploded in the past decade. Part of it is advances in science and technology, and better understanding of how a good diet leads to better performance.

And part of it is the insatiable SEC desire to seek even the slightest advantage over the next guy. Thats why Georgia has a director of nutrition, a performance chef for football and a culinary services manager for football.

For all we know, Saban really might have 14 quality-control nutritionists. Whatever the case, weve certainly come a long way from the days when a guy in an apron slung mashed potatoes onto trays at the mess hall.

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Gomes conducted a body-mass scan on each player to find their fat vs. lean mass ratios, consulted with the strength coaches, position coaches and training staffs and came up with individual meal plans.

She prefers that term instead of diet, which conjures visions of Jenny Craig and pretending your stomach isnt grumbling at 110 decibels for a slice of pizza.

Ive always had this approach that all foods fit, Gomes said.

She told players shes not here to send them into Twinkie detox. Its all about eating a well-balanced meal plan with the right combination of fiber, proteins, antioxidants and all that other stuff you can read on the labels of vitamin bottles.

I dont want them to feel guilt or shame about eating a certain type of food, Gomes said.

She does emphasize the benefits of eating certain types of food. That way, a player understands how eating a bowl of blueberries will help alleviate aching muscles after a three-hour practice.

She came in and she got it instantly, Dexter said. She didnt waste any time.

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He told Gomes what his goals were. She had a meal plan ready the next day. Dexter said hes leaner and meaner this spring than hes been since arriving in Gainesville.

Its all Miss Kelsee, he said. I cant give no credit to myself.

Gomes doesnt do the actual cooking. She designs the menus for the football chefs to whip up, then she makes sure everybody follows their orders.

Our team really likes vegetables, Gomes said. And we have a lot of fruit guys, too.

Napier has made breakfast mandatory, so two of Gomes assistants check attendance every morning. Napiers also into visual reminders, so Gomes has put individualized signs in every locker.

They say things like, More Muscle Mass or Maintain Muscle Mass.

Its all just another component in Napiers grand plan. Every school has stepped up its nutrition game, so Florida really had no choice.

But if an army marches only as well as their stomachs feel, the Gators should eventually gopretty far.

David Whitley is The Gainesville Sun's sports columnist. Contact him at dwhitley@gannett.com. And follow him on Twitter: @DavidEWhitley

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Florida football nutritionist getting rave reviews: What's she got cooking for the Gators? - Gatorsports.com