ECU's McNeill tackles his weight loss

GREENVILLE -- East Carolina coach Ruffin McNeill knew there was only one choice.

He prayed and then accepted the fact that undergoing weight-loss surgery would offer him a healthier, more active life.

When he thought about those around him - his family, assistant coaches, players and fans - the decision was clear.

"A lot of people are depending on me," said McNeill, who underwent the surgery as a precursor to a badly needed hip replacement. "I want to be here. ... I want to be part of the Pirate family and Pirate nation for years to come. ... In order for me to be here a long time, I have to make sure I take care of myself."

As the Pirates take the field for their annual spring game today, observers may notice the early results of McNeill's commitment. Four months after gastric bypass surgery, a quick glance at the second-year coach reveals a slimmer man, one who has lost 90 pounds from a high of 388.

"He looks great," ECU senior Doug Polochak said.

Dr. William Chapman performed surgery on McNeill at Pitt County Memorial Hospital in January - just weeks after the coach led the Pirates to the Military Bowl in his first season.

The Pirates finished with a 6-7 record and a loss to Maryland in the bowl game. But few know how much pain McNeill had endured on the sidelines as he guided the Pirates to a fifth consecutive bowl appearance.

It was determined before the season started that McNeill needed hip replacement surgery. Throughout the season, his right hip gradually became more painful, forcing him to limp and use a golf cart during practice.

Second surgery

Over years of inactivity, McNeill, a three-year starter at safety for ECU from 1977-1980, ballooned from his playing weight of nearly 216 pounds. As a coach at Texas Tech, he tried to lose weight through a six-day-a-week exercise routine. But he still carried a lot of weight on his 6-foot frame. After leaving Texas Tech for ECU, the pain in his hip continued to worsen. To make hip replacement surgery more effective, doctors suggested McNeill, 52, consider bariatric surgery, a procedure to help him lose weight by reducing the size of the stomach.

McNeill said his choice to have surgery had little to do with his immediate health.

"I was being proactive," McNeill said. "Really, surprisingly, with all the tests I had gone through - from blood pressure to whatever - it was normal. Everything was fine."

His family considered the surgery a part of a positive life change.

"We felt like this is a time in your life where you really ought to think about your health," his wife, Erlene, said. "Even more so because as you get older life is not as forgiving.

"One of the things our daughters have said is, 'Dad, we want you to get healthy because we want you to walk us down the aisle.' When you've got your family encouraging you, what else can you do?"

With a team of doctors in place, McNeill responded with an all-in attitude. For two weeks before and after surgery, doctors placed him on a liquid diet. He only recently started eating select solid foods combined with a variety of vitamin supplements.

Each morning around 5 a.m., McNeill enters a pool for his morning workout. His hip surgery is scheduled for April 29, which will be followed by physical therapy before the Pirates open summer camp and prepare for their season-opener against South Carolina on Sept. 3.

ECU offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley said he's noticed a distinct change in McNeill's energy level. He said McNeill gave a full effort last season, but "his tank wasn't full."

"A lot of people don't want to identify what their weakness is," Riley said. "A lot of people have too much pride ... especially to go out there and say, 'I'm going to sacrifice this to make it better.' "

'Clear mind'

One of McNeill's favorite football lines is: "Cloudy mind, slow legs. Clear mind, fast legs."

He considers his surgery akin to creating a clear mind for himself. He has vowed to maintain a strict diet and workout regimen, accepting the doctor's mandates to the letter.

"As stubborn as I am ... I know I'll stick with it," he said.

But don't ask McNeill about target weight-loss goals.

"I'd rather just work hard," he said. "Do the exercises, watch my diet, and I'll look up in a few months and see where I am." He said the commitment is non-negotiable.

"Once he sticks his mind to something, he's going to keep it up," Erlene McNeill said. "I'm just so proud of him."

Others have showered the coach with encouragement, walking up to McNeill or his wife at events to share their weight-loss surgery stories.

The players have noticed, too.

"He really does lead by example," Polochak said. "He always does say he would never ask anybody to do something he wouldn't do for himself. That's really true."

McNeill has joked that he's going to soon look like the old football picture of himself that hangs on his office wall.

"I feel very much in control," McNeill said. "In the back of my mind, I kept repeating, 'A lot of people are depending on me.' My mind is so much clearer now."