Originally Posted by
BigNastyDefense
First, most teams have a nutritionist. The thing is, you can't force a guy to follow a regimented diet. I mean you can try, fine players for being overweight, PUP list, threatening to release a player who cannot maintain a healthy playing weight. But in the end, that's all up to the player to do what they need to do.
As for the mental health aspect, I'm sure most teams would gladly pay for a player to see a psychologist if the player needed it. But you have to remember that athletes are some of the most prideful people on the planet, and talking about your problems (be it anything - concentration, depression, personal problems, marital problems) they feel makes them look weak. You can mandate that a player goes to one, but that doesn't mean that they have to open up to the psychologist and actually get to the root of whatever the issue is.
Look at Shane Ray. Missouri would have gotten him the help he needed and the anti-anxiety medication he needed...but he didn't want to do that and chose to smoke pot instead, causing him to fall out of the first half of the first round of the draft (and if the Broncos didn't take him probably out of the first round completely).