Offensive Linemen Now 38% Larger

Size can be an important advantage in many sports, including football. Apparently players have taken notice. According to research published in the Journal of Athletic Training, the arms race has really picked up pace over the past 60 years.
 
Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston analyzed player size parameters at 10 New England colleges and found the mean weight of offensive linemen increased by 38% since 1956. Their average height only increased by 3.8%. A control group of average sized men age 20 to 29 only gained 12% more weight during the same period.