Arizona Cardinals rookie DL Walter Nolen already learning veteran health habits
Defensive lineman Walter Nolen, the Arizona Cardinals' first-round pick of the 2025 NFL, is only 21 years old and is the youngest player in a defensive line room full of veterans — newcomers Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell and returners Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols.
Nolen has only been in the building with the veterans for a few weeks and they haven't practiced in pads yet, and only one week of the offseason was mandatory for the veterans, but Nolen is already soaking in veteran knowledge, although it isn't as much about what is happening on the field as it is about what he does off of it.
What has he learned from the guys like Campbell and Tomlinson?
"Really just how to take care of your body," he told reporters on Monday. "That's your money maker, so just make sure your body is prepared every day to handle what's going on."
He has even started doing things like old guys do.
One way is focusing on his nutrition.
"I never really focused on the eating part of it," he explained. "So, they say you're supposed to have two fists of color (when you eat). So, I get some broccoli or some fruit or something every day. So, I just going to keep that going and see what it takes me to."
He is also doing more to care of his body, doing "some of the things like they do inside the building," nothing he is usually "one of the first people in the building."
"I started going extra cold tub time and, getting in the sun every day and
"Usually I'm one of the first people in the building, but uh, really just some of the things like they do inside the building. I done start doing like the extra cold tub time and you know, um, just getting in the sun every day and staying in the training room."
The extra attention to his body will hopefully prepare him for the long NFL season and help him avoid injuries, as the Cardinals have had issues with injuries on the defensive line for many seasons.
And by using old veteran habits as a youngster, he is preparing himself for a long, successful NFL career.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
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