Philadelphia Eagles

J.J. Wilcox: I'm working to get bigger, stronger, faster

Published Apr. 22, 2015 1:31 p.m. ET

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Cowboys safety J.J. Wilcox is not yet a household name, but that probably won't take much longer after his breakout 2014 season where he racked up 89 tackles and three interceptions. The transition from Georgia Southern to the NFL entails a steep learning curve, and it's safe to say that with another year under his belt, there is still room for a lot of growth in Wilcox's game.

First things first, Wilcox is taking his offseason training more seriously than ever.

"I work on everything. I want to get faster, bigger and stronger," Wilcox told STACK.com in an exclusive interview. "For myself, I wanted to work on being a great safety. I’m still pretty young to the position. I didn’t play it until my senior year of college. I’m going into my fourth year playing the position, period. I’m still learning, but my ceiling is high. I’m working on my angles, my backpedals, open field tackles. Sharpen up my tools.

Wilcox has also focused on honing in his diet.

"The biggest transition from my rookie year to now is my diet and calorie intake. I was in college on a meal plan, so I’d go to the cafeteria and order a hamburger, chicken fingers and fries. Now I’m trying to lose weight, get lean, get faster. That’s been a big key for me this off-season, losing weight and getting leaner so I can move around better at the safety position."

If Wilcox can take another step forward, it will go a long way in improving what was arguably the Cowboys' biggest defensive deficiency in 2014—their secondary.

(h/t STACK)