Kimberly Garrison talks men's fitness with Eagle Brandon Boykin

CONTEMPLATING a column on men's fitness recently, I thought, why not get advice from one of Philly's fittest men - a Philadelphia Eagle? A few phone calls and one meeting later, I was off to Lincoln Financial Field to meet second-year cornerback Brandon Boykin.

I'll admit I had some preconceived notions going in. I'd read so many stories about pro athletes who were talented, yes, but also arrogant, malcontent jerks. You know the ones.

This is not one of those stories.

Boykin, a 22-year-old Georgia native who made his professional football debut with the Eagles in 2012, is not only talented and good-looking (and single), he's also a refreshing break from the pro athlete mold.

He maintains a prayer book and seems more interested in supporting his church and family than squandering his money on a lot of unnecessary bling.

I knew that his momma raised him right from the moment I saw him running cheerfully across the blazing hot field one day last week to greet 200 eager middle-school students invited to participate in the Eagles' annual Play 60 Challenge. The challenge is an NFL campaign to fight childhood obesity by encouraging kids to be active for 60 minutes every day.

Despite an exhausting morning of team meetings, class and grueling practice, Boykin was genuinely cordial, playful and attentive to the kids as they did field drills and practiced football skills.

He retained that poised demeanor during our conversation about fitness and his demonstration of four key exercises that he thinks men should do to stay fit.

I could almost hear my grandmother whispering in my ear, "Baby, he had good home training." She always said that when she met a young person whose ways reflected a supportive, loving yet disciplined upbringing.

The 5-foot-10-inch, 183-pound Boykin was a scholar-athlete at the University of Georgia, making the honor roll and receiving the 2011 Paul Hornung Award for outstanding performance by a versatile college football player. He also was a formidable basketball player in high school and had several offers to play college hoops. A journalism major, he aspires to be a sports broadcaster once his football career ends.

Now, for all the fellows who want to get and maintain an outstanding physique, Boykin suggested, "Eat clean throughout the year, stay away from junk food, and skip the beer."

Additionally, to fine-tune your physique, Boykin recommended body-weight exercises, like plyometric push-ups, squat jumps and crunches.

Plyometric exercises are multijoint regimens that also build dynamic power and speed. If you want to play harder, run faster and jump higher, these exercises will test your mettle and get you in world-class shape.

Plyometric exercises are intense, so if you haven't worked out in a while, you have to start with exercises that will develop sufficient strength, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness. Things like brisk walking, skipping, jumping rope or working on an elliptical machine should do the trick. They're also a good warmup for an intense plyometric workout.

And, lest we forget it, diet is 80 percent of the game. Boykin credited his mom for laying the foundation for his good eating habits.

"My mom made me eat healthy," he said. "You see, diabetes runs in our family." He also credited his parents for his discipline on and off the field. "For me, training and studying is year round."

When he's not playing or training for pro ball, Boykin enjoys body-weight exercises like dips, jump rope or boxing. His exercise playlist is a combination of Christian music, Drake and the rapper Future, who's big in Atlanta.

When I asked him what people might be surprised to know about him, he said, "I really love music, and one day I hope to be able to play the piano and the guitar."

Keep your eyes on Brandon Boykin! He's a true renaissance man, one who's making smart moves on and off the field.

Today on PhillyDailyNews.com: A full photo slide show of Brandon Boykin. And ... watch a video of him winning a high school dunk contest.