Darren Waller took a step back in 2021 because he was dealing with multiple injuries. But despite playing in only 11 of the team’s 17 regular-season games, the Las Vegas Raiders tight end was still productive, catching 55 passes for 665 yards and two touchdowns. In an exclusive interview with PopCulture.com, Waller gave an update on his health with less than 100 days until the 2022 NFL season kicks off.ย
“My body feels great,” Waller exclusively told PopCulture. “I’ve been out there doing everything at practice, everything in the weight room, everything with my extra things that I do with no hindrances, so I’m blessed. It’s a violent game and I got my first taste of a little bit of extended time being out. It’s not where you want to be, but it’s part of the process. And now I know it’s just helped me dive in even more, as far as little things I can do to take care of my body and imbalances, certain things that may have me a little bit more prone to an injury or something like that, so it’s improved my focus and I see that as a blessing as I continue to go forward in my career.”
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Waller has emerged as one of the top tight ends in the NFL after catching at least 90 passes and over 1,100 yards in 2019 and 2020. And one of the biggest things that have helped him is to make sure he gives himself enough time to rest and recover. “Rest and recovery are around the clock thing, man, ” Waller said. “You’re racing against the clock during the season. It massages the first two days after a game on Sunday. It’s a hyperbaric chamber upstairs in the house, it’s cryotherapy, red light therapy, infrared saunas, and Normatec. It’s a routine. It’s lengthy, but you got to see it as an investment into your business because your body’s essentially your business.”
To help promote rest and recovery, Waller, 29, has partnered with Icy Hotย to introduce its new PRO line. Waller said with him previously addicted to painkillers, he had to find something different to help manage the pain. “And Icy Hot, just using their product on a day-to-day, putting it on my knees, putting it on my lower back, putting it on just anything on my body, it definitely helps and it’s a way for me to navigate the pain because pain is inevitable in my day-to-day,” he said. “With the PRO Time Off campaign, we know that a lot of people get after it. They may not be professional athletes, but they put essentially a pro-level effort into what they do.”
