<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Spaghetti and meatballs are great, no question. But sometimes they\u2019re even better when you add a little honey on top, which is how cornerback Brandon Flowers, who on June 24 signed a one-year deal with the San Diego Chargers, eats them before every game. \u201CI\u2019m telling you, it\u2019s a weird mix, but it has that perfect sweetness,\u201D says the 28-year-old Pro Bowler, who has a surprisingly well-sculpted body for such a sweet tooth. \u201CIt\u2019s not too heavy, and I feel good on it.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Flowers\u2019 willingness to embrace new things should stand him in good stead in his move to San Diego\u2014after six seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, who had drafted him in 2008 as the 35th overall pick. \u201CI\u2019m a guy who loves new adventures,\u201D Flowers said three days after the Chiefs released him earlier this month. \u201CI\u2019m definitely going to embrace wherever I go with open arms.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For Flowers, the choice of the Chargers had a lot to do with San Diego\u2019s returning that embrace. \u201CGoing through all the teams, this was one I felt really wanted to add me as a piece of the puzzle that could win a championship\u201D he told Chargers.com. And, of course, a Super Bowl title would just be the honey on the spaghetti for the adventurous Flowers.&amp;nbsp;\r\n\r\n\r\nBrandon Flowers\r\n\r\n&amp;nbsp;\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\tage\r\n\t\t\theight\r\n\t\t\tweight\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t28 years old\r\n\t\t\t5-foot-10\r\n\t\t\t192 lbs.\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Training grounds&lt;/strong&gt;: Boca Raton, Fla.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nickname&lt;/strong&gt;: D-Dot, Bou-K, Flow, and several others. &lt;em&gt;\u201CIt\u2019s weird because I have, like, seven different nicknames\u2014it just depends on what part of the world I\u2019m in. Now that I\u2019m not in Kansas City anymore, I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll have a new name on my new team.\u201D&lt;/em&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Body fat&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;em&gt;\u201CI don\u2019t know it, but I\u2019m pretty sure it\u2019s pretty low.\u201D&lt;/em&gt; We\u2019re pretty sure, too.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hours spent training per day:&lt;/strong&gt; Four.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Days spent training per week: &lt;/strong&gt;Four.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hours spent in the weight room per week&lt;/strong&gt;: At least six.&amp;nbsp;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u200B&lt;strong &gt;Go-to workout:&lt;/strong&gt; Ladder drills. \u201C&lt;em &gt;I put a ladder on the ground and move my feet in and out of the ladder as fast as I can, which helps with footwork. You can do 30 different movements in and out of a ladder that can translate to the field. It\u2019s mostly just quick-twitch stuff because, as a receiver, I have to be able to react real quick.\u201D&lt;/em&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Secret workout:&lt;/strong&gt; Cycling. &lt;em&gt;\u201CA lot of guys don\u2019t cycle, but it\u2019s great for your lower body and also builds up endurance. Raw Lewis used to cycle, and I think it helps make your career a lot longer. It\u2019s just an all-around workout. I try to go 15 miles almost every day. It does nothing but get you better.\u201D&lt;/em&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Biggest physical challenge:&lt;/strong&gt; Staying on my diet. &lt;em&gt;\u201CI come from a family where my dad and everyone is a chef. We have big cookouts every Sunday, and during the week, for no reason, we\u2019ll have a big seafood cookout. So it\u2019s hard for me to stay on my diet with all that food and soul food. I try to watch what I eat, so I don\u2019t just pig out at the table.\u201D&lt;/em&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Best recovery tip:&lt;/strong&gt; Sleep. &lt;em&gt;\u201CYour body recovers so much when you sleep. When the game is over and my adrenaline is still pumping, I still try to get to sleep just so my body can calm down from all the stress and start to heal itself.\u201D&lt;/em&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Calories consumed per day:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;\u201CI\u2019m on a strict diet where they take your blood and break down your diet\u2014what\u2019s best for your liver, what\u2019s best for your pancreas. I just know all the food my [personal] chef brings me is good for my body and good for my diet.\u201D&lt;/em&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u200B&lt;strong &gt;Favorite pre-game meal:&lt;/strong&gt; Spaghetti and meatballs with honey. &lt;em &gt;\u201CI\u2019m telling you, it\u2019s a weird mix, but it has that perfect sweetness. It\u2019s not too heavy, and I feel good on it.\u201D&lt;/em&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Typical recovery meal:&lt;/strong&gt; Chicken breast, broccoli, and sweet potato.&lt;em&gt; \u201CAll those are lean foods that are great for your body, great for your metabolism, and will fill you up.\u201D&lt;/em&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Celebration meal: &lt;/strong&gt;His family\u2019s cooking. &lt;em&gt;\u201CMy dad cooks great steaks\u2014every guy I\u2019ve played with on every team asks for them. Then there\u2019s my auntie\u2019s seafood gumbo and peach cobbler. When I have that meal, I know I\u2019ve just achieved something.\u201D&lt;/em&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Biggest dietary vice&lt;/strong&gt;: Fried chicken from Buds Chicken &amp;amp; Seafood. \u201C&lt;em&gt;It\u2019s the place I\u2019ve been eating since I was like 4-years old. It\u2019s the best chicken you might ever taste. Whenever I pass by there, I have to close my eyes because, even though I\u2019m on a strict diet, it\u2019s hard to turn down. I fantasize about it whenever I\u2019m hungry.\u201D&lt;/em&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Alcohol:&lt;/strong&gt; Tequila. \u201C&lt;em&gt;That\u2019s all the alcohol I can drink. I\u2019ll have Milagro or Petron here and there. But if it\u2019s not tequila, I don\u2019t drink it.\u201D&lt;/em&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;On being released by the Chiefs&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;em&gt;\u201CI think it\u2019s a blessing in disguise. I know it\u2019s a business decision\u2014we had a lot of guys on the [Chiefs] who are young that we have to pay. But if I had stayed on the team, I wouldn\u2019t have been able to hit the free-agent market for another three years. Now, if I sign a one-year deal, I can get a bunch of teams bidding on me.\u201D&lt;/em&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Favorite hobby:&lt;/strong&gt; Playing football or basketball randomly with kids at parks. &lt;em&gt;\u201CI see kids at the park playing football, and I\u2019ll just jump into the game. Back home [in Florida], the kids were used to it because I did it all the time\u2014they just know I\u2019m that type of guy. They know I want to jump in to play basketball, play H-O-R-S-E, and throw some crazy shots.\u201D&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n&lt;/p&gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.si.com/edge/2014/06/27/behind-body-chargers-nfl-brandon-flowers>