Updated May 2020. Let me know if there are any additions or errors
Player
Year vegan
Quit Veganism
Not Playing
Vegans Currently Playing
Notes
Cam Newton
Feb. 2019
Injured week 2. Never healed. Out for the 2019-2020 season.
Jonnu Smith
Only reference to veganism is Charity Morgan cooked meals for him.
Tyrann Mathieu
2016
Tweet eating chicken 2017. No further mention of veganism
Brandon Flowers
2015
Last played 2016. Retired Aug 2017
Demarious Thomas
July 2017
? vegan. Troy Renck 2018 asked him is he was still on a vegan diet. He responded "what diet?" https://www.thedenverchannel.com/sports/broncos/broncos-receiver-demaryius-thomas-bulks-up-von-miller-keeps-it-real Another 2018 article talked about a 'new' diet, contrasting it with his vegan diet changes and mentioned it cut out pork, seafood, dairy, and alcohol. No mention of chicken and beef. Implies he's eating meat, but doesn't outright state his diet. No mention of veganism or his diet on Twitter. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/demaryius-thomas-hoping-new-diet-helps-him-remain-healthy/ar-BBLGj1F Another article again mentions a limited diet, but didn't exclude red meat or eggs. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000945912/article/demaryius-thomas-reinvigorated-by-radical-lifestyle-change
Ankle injury just before season end 2019/2020
Aaron Rodgers
Never a vegan. "Almost" a vegan
Bennie Fowler
July2017
? vegan. Nothing about it since Jan2018. There's a VERY extensive article on him in NYDailyNews in Sept. 2019 that doesn't say anything about his diet. There's nothing on his own Twitter, Facebook, and instagram pages. Not even food pics! https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/ny-bennie-fowler-silver-spoon-kobe-bryant-20200127-y3pusmcg6rarfd7aqrmedvmwpi-story.html
Hamstring injury. Just resigned by Giants after having previously been released by them. Currently playing.
Theo Riddick
Summer 2017
Still vegan in 2018, but nothing on it since then.
Injury and early season end 2018. Now Out 6-8 weeks with fractured shoulder. No further info on him or his diet since that time.
Brandon Mebane
Never vegan. Eats meat 1x/day
Andrew Luck
From a 2016 Men's Journal Interview, he's eats steak, fish, and eggs. 2019 GQ interview, he eats eggs and hamburgers. Sounds like he was never vegan.
Arie Kouandjio
Summer 2017
Torn quad 2018. Unsigned this year
Grady Jarrett
A single PETA article says he's vegan
Kendall Langford
2018 Tweet eating steak
Released without a single game in 2017. Hasn't played since
A single reference to his veganism to lose a bit of weight
DaQuan Jones
Tweeting lots of chicken dishes. Was eating chicken even when 'vegan'. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2017/12/20/veggie-might-titans-d-gets-boost-after-going-vegetarian/108771904/
Arian Foster
July 2012
Only vegan for a short time
Griff Whaley
2014
Injured preseason 2017. Hasn't played since.
Lucious Smith
2006
Retired in 1985. Never played as a vegan
Rishard Matthews
2017
2018 was his worst year ever. Retired before 2019 season.
DeMarco Murray
2017
2017 was his worst season ever. Injured on last game of 2017 season, then retired
DJ Swearington
2015 went pescaterian https://www.redskins.com/news/meat-free-safety-d-j-swearinger-embraces-the-vegan-lifestyle-20244364
nfl
Vegan Pro Hockey Players
Player
Year vegan
Quit Veganism
Not Playing
Vegans Currently Playing
Notes
TJ Galiardi
2015
Played only 27 games in 2 seasons as a vegan, then retired
Michael Zigomanis
2011
Played 3 seasons as a vegan before retiring
Georges Laraque
2009
Played 1 season as a vegan then retired
Vegan Soccer/Football Players
Player
Year vegan
Quit Veganism
Not Playing
Vegans Currently Playing
Sport
Hector Bellerin
2016
Nothing about his diet on social media since his injury in January 2019
Surgery to ACL January 31, 2019. Back on team, but still sitting on sidelines. Jan 2020 Finally playing again after many weeks out due to hamstring injury. Out almost a full year with injuries.
Now playing Feb 2020 after being out for a full year with injuries
Pro Soccer
Jermaine Defoe
2017
2018 Eats a pescaterian diet. https://inews.co.uk/news/health/jermain-defoe-meat-free-diet-vegan-fitness-what-the-health-netflix-documentary-512918
Apparantly was vegan for a while but quit permanently after vegans harassed him for eating fish. https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/rangers-star-jermain-defoe-abused-20824102
Pro Soccer
Alex Morgan
?
Is 'flexible' and 'mostly vegetarian' now that she's pregnant. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/soccer/2019/11/06/alex-morgan-pregnant-uswnt-star-plans-playing-2020-olympics/4172346002/
Sept 2019 Season ending knee injury . https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/soccer-star-alex-morgan-announces-knee-injury-remainder/story?id=65663346 Pregnant now and due April 2020.
Woman's soccer
Fabian Delph
Never vegan. https://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/man-city-fullback-delph-i-meditate-but-i-m-no-vegan-4235544
Soccer
Chris Smalling
June 2018 https://www.menshealth.com/uk/nutrition/a26656882/chris-smalling-vegan-diet/
Still vegan and playing as of Feb 2020.
Soccer
The Forest Green Rovers Football Team
The cafeteria/restaurant and owner is vegan, but not the players
Retired in 2019 due to multiple injuries... https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/jack-wilshere-considered-retiring-due-16503245 getting hernia surgery in 2020 https://www.90min.com/posts/6546965-jack-wilshere-undergoes-hernia-operation-following-latest-injury-setback
Vegan NBA Players
Player
Year vegan
Quit Veganism
Not Playing
Vegans Currently Playing
Sport
Kyrie Irving
2017. Still vegan?
Has been chronically injured. Says he can barely put his shoulders over his head. He's Out with a knee injury Feb 2020. Out for the season for shoulder surgery as of Feb 2020. Constantly injured. https://www.si.com/nba/2020/02/20/kyrie-irving-shoulder-surgery-out-for-season
NBA
Chris Paul
2018
Vegan for a short time (if he ever was) August 2019 USA today shows him eating meat: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2019/08/08/plant-based-diets-sports-world-what-alex-morgan-chris-paul-eat/1922055001/
NBA
Wilson Chandler
2016
2019. Iron Deficiency. Had to quit. https://theathletic.com/903837/2019/04/04/blood-dont-lie-the-nba-trend-thats-testing-player-performance-and-privacy-for-knicks-clippers-and-others/?fbclid=IwAR2pyERqYdYpyiP2e7CVf2eIiHohC2GEgWCoqGzxh-bZ3YnImOS911GrjZI and https://hoopshype.com/player/wilson-chandler/page/7/
NBA
Damien Lillard
2017
2018 Lost too much weight https://theundefeated.com/whhw/damian-lillard-ends-strict-vegan-diet/
NBA
DeMarcus Cousins
2020 ACL tear still not healing. Was waived by the Lakers Feb 2020 https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28752786/sources-lakers-waiving-demarcus-cousins-eyeing-markieff-morris
NBA
DeAndre Jordan
June 2018. Still vegan 2019 https://twitter.com/DeAndre/status/1199787738200989697?s=20
NBA
John Salley
Vegetarian in 1991, Vegan in 2008.
Last played 1999-2000 season. Never played as a vegan. https://www.clearlyveg.org/blog/2017/04/22/john-salley-i-became-real-vegetarian-which-vegan/
NBA
JaVale McGee
2016. Still vegan July 2019. https://twitter.com/herbivore_club/status/1150166192977588224?s=20
NBA
Bill Walton
Vegetarian for decades
Has had 37 orthopedic surgeries
Retired NBA
Other Sports
Player
Year vegan
Quit Veganism
Not Playing
Vegans Currently Playing
Sport
Matt Danzig
MMA
Nate Diaz
Never vegan, only 'plant based' and 'on and off' vegan. Now he 'digs fish'. https://www.livekindly.co/ufc-fighter-nate-diaz-wins-first-fight-3-years-vegan-diet/ https://www.plantbasednews.org/culture/athlete-on-off-vegan-nate-diaz-speaks-against-tofu
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