Shawn Andrews realized he isn't immortal.

He lost a close friend from his hometown of Camden, Ark. in the off-season. Andrews' friend was overweight and died of a heart attack at the age of 23. Yes, he was only 23. It was a tragedy that forced Andrews come to grips with reality.

"I don't want to die young because I'm too fat," said Andrews.

Black is supposed to be slimming, but Andrews didn't think so

Andrews is listed at 340 pounds, but he admitted that he played last season in the 380s. Andrews said he watches the game tape from the Eagles-Oakland game from last season when the Eagles wore the black uniforms and cringes.

"I'm like, 'black is supposed to make you look smaller,'" said Andrews. "I'm lookin' and that's not happening. I look at it as motivation. I look at it every other day."

Andrews may have ended up like his friend if it wasn't for pro football. Andrews was a second-alternate to the Pro Bowl last season, which was really his rookie campaign. The Eagles' first-round draft pick out of Arkansas in 2004, Andrews broke his right fibula in his NFL debut against the Giants. This past season, he started at right guard in every game.

Andrews may be even better than he was last season thanks to the lifestyle changes he has made. The biggest change of all was to his diet.

"We came in for breakfast (at mini-camp) and they had the glossy pancakes, the sausage and sweaty bacon," said Andrews. "I looked at that and said, 'that's the old me.' I went for the fruit and the orange juice, water and yogurt. It's not just for, 'What am I going to get for the next contract?' It's for the rest of my life."

Andrews was proud that he has lost almost 40 pounds in the off-season.

"When I was up in the 380s, I would get to work and be tired," said Andrews. "I can work out twice a day now and be ready to go again."

Andrews sees a lot of himself in rookie guard Max Jean-Gilles. Andrews said that he saw Jean-Gilles not eating the day before an official team weigh-in at the team's post-draft mini-camp.

"I was getting on him because that's the way I (used to be)," said Andrews. "I don't want to have wake up early and sneak into the sauna and get a sweat in to take five pounds off (before the team's weigh-ins). I want to sleep in and come in for a meeting when I have to.

"I don't want to do it anymore and I'm not going to."

Through his friend's death, Andrews shuffled his priorities and was able to save himself from a potentially similar fate.

"Football is great, it takes care of family and pays the bills," said Andrews. "It's a dream of mine. After that tragedy happened, it's not even worth going to McDonald's or eating a cheesesteak that I used to love so much."