Entering his 15th NFL season at age 37, Jets linebacker Demario Davis says he spends nearly $1 million a year to stay in playing shape—backed by a durability record that includes missing only one game in his career.
Demario Davis doesn’t talk like a 37-year-old chasing longevity. He talks like a man funding the engine behind it.
With the New York Jets linebacker heading into his 15th NFL season. Davis says he spends nearly $1 million a year on keeping himself fit and healthy for the demands of an NFL schedule. He’s missed only one game in his NFL career. a durability run he credits to how seriously he takes his body management year-round.
The work starts with a small team built around recovery and maintenance. Davis pays a team of six different people to keep him in shape, and he places various forms of physical therapy at the top of his priorities.
“I go from the field to the table, from the table to the field,” Davis said. “What I mean by that is, when I’m not training, I’m recovering. When I’m not recovering, I’m training.”
That cycle is packed with details. Davis lists acupuncture. radio frequency energy stimulation. naturopathic medicine. chiropractic care. muscle activation. cupping. scraping. dry-needle therapy and red-light therapy among the recovery methods he uses. He also mentions fascia stretching, hot and cold tubs, epsom salt baths and active release therapy.
Nutrition is the other side of the equation. Davis has a personal chef who builds a high-protein diet designed around plenty of red meat while focusing on foods that limit inflammation.
“My body is my company, and the brand that comes from playing the game is my company,” Davis said. “If I don’t reinvest in the engine of the company and the brand of the company, I just don’t think that’s wise. I just try to be a good steward of what’s been given.”
It’s a philosophy that matches the results: at age 37, Davis is still going strong and is now among the Top 10 linebackers in NFL history in games played.
Demario Davis New York Jets NFL linebacker durability fitness routine physical therapy recovery acupuncture red-light therapy cupping naturopathic medicine diet personal chef