A cheesesteak ban paying dividends for Brandon Graham

Two months on crutches can really force a hulking defensive end to change his eating habits. Especially when his favorite food is a Philly cheesesteak.

Brandon Graham packed on nearly 15 pounds while rehabbing from knee surgery. The second-year pro was basically immobile from late December to February.

“I had to hurry up and get that off,” Graham said.

Now, Graham is down to a svelte 270 pounds. Which is two pounds off his listed weight of 268.

“Ten more [pounds] and I’ll be good,” Graham said.

For a while, teammates were jabbing him about his increased waist size, saying he might need to convert to defensive tackle. So, Graham decided to switch up his diet, choosing to cook more instead of eating at his favorite hang: Jim’s Steaks on South Street.

“I had to stop that. I don’t eat them no more right now,” said Graham, before adding, “I’ll eat a half and try and save it.”

Graham has downgraded his daily servings from two to three plates per meal to about one-and-a-half. He also credited substituting turkey meat for beef in his spaghetti sauce.

“It took a little minute, because it was hard for me to stick to the diet,” Graham said. “Using the sauna and stuff like that helped.”

Graham was in pads for the first time yesterday since getting injured last December. He hopes to be ready for Sunday’s game, but he’s not getting ahead of himself.

“Just go out there and go hard, get in the best shape you can as fast as you can,” Graham said. “One day at a time … take it until Sunday, when I find out if I’m playing.”