Picture: This retired American footballer has gone from Super Bowl to super ripped

It seems that retiring has done this former American fotball player the world of good

Retirement gives you time to pursue your hobbies, like gardening, cooking or maybe even learning a new skill or language. For Matt Birk, who finished up with a Super Bowl ring around his finger last year with the Baltimore Ravens and went out on a high, it seems that the hobby he's chosen to take up while retired is getting ripped. Now, we're not sure how he's managed to find more time while he was retired to exercise than when he was a professional athlete, but fair play to him for getting in such great shape just eight months after retiring. In fairness to him, he did need to be a bit stockier (310 pounds to be exact) to play centre and make sure no one got past him on the offensive line than he does while he's retired. Birk told BaltimoreRavens.com that he felt great after hitting the gym and changing his lifestyle, and as a result of him losing 75 pounds, he's in the running to be a model for Body By Visuals, the company he joined to help him lose weight in the first place. If you want to vote to get Matt on the cover of their magazine, you can head over here to cast your vote. While he says he's thrilled to be in such great shape, he won't be returning to football to play in any of the skills positions with his new physique: "I’ve lost all that weight, but I’m still slow as molasses!". Hat-tip to Bleacher Report.