Having a good mix of size and strength usually bolds well for most players in the NFL. It's one of the most physically demanding sports in the world, and having a huge advantage in size, especially if you're an offensive lineman, will typically increase your chances of success. So how did things turn out for the heaviest player to ever play in NFL?

Who is the heaviest NFL player of all time?

Aaron Gibson was one of the most intriguing prospects ever since he was in high school. He played offensive and defensive linemen in high school and tipped the scales at 440 pounds.

Gibson did manage to trim down to around 387 pounds when he entered college. But can you imagine how hard it was for opposing linemen just to try and get past or contain Gibson.

Anyway, it was no surprise that after his college career in Wisconsin, Gibson caught the eye of multiple NFL teams. He was even pegged to be the first offensive lineman taken in the 1999 NFL draft. He'd eventually be the fourth lineman taken, but he did get drafted 27th overall by the Detroit Lions who had to trade three draft picks to the Miami Dolphins to get him.

Heaviest player of all time struggles in NFL

However, once he entered the NFL, the man labeled as the “prototype for offensive linemen in the 21st century” failed to meet expectations. He was fined repeatedly by the Lions for not meeting his weight goal.

To make matters worse, he suffered a shoulder injury before his first game as a rookie. He was sidelined again for another shoulder injury during his sophomore season.

The Lions eventually waived him after that season, but Gibson was immediately snagged by the Dallas Cowboys a day later. It was in Dallas where he made history as the first player to be officially listed above 400 lbs.

Unfortunately, this didn't translate to success for Gibson either. His injuries continued to follow him and would only play in 38 games over his four-year career.

Life got rough for Gibson after his NFL career as he explained in an interview with Bleacher Report's Joon Lee in 2017. He ate mostly fast food, spent $1,400 a month on painkillers, ballooned to 480 pounds, and had to check himself in to a psychiatric ward.

Luckily, Gibson avoided disaster. Today, Gibson weighs less than 300 pounds and did so by doing 1,500 crunches each day.