Former UK quarterback Jared Lorenzen has overcome challenges most of his life.

The main challenge Lorenzen has faced is his weight issue. However, that didn’t slow him down from setting nine individual school records during his time at UK.

Lorenzen’s weight didn’t deter him from making it to the NFL either, where he played four seasons with the New York Giants. However, Lorenzen was mostly used as a backup quarterback who could never out perform the slimmer, more-athletic quarterbacks.

Lorenzen’s NFL career ended in 2008 when the Indianapolis Colts released him before the start of the season. That was also the last time that Lorenzen stepped on a scale before launching The Jared Lorenzen Project.

Before the project, Lorenzen discovered he weighed over 500 pounds after stepping on a scale for the first time in years. This was one of many factors that led him to making a life-changing decision.

“Right now, if I didn’t wake up tomorrow it wouldn’t be a shock to me,” Lorenzen said in a video released on July 28 on Facebook.

Lorenzen’s Project is a mission to lose weight after battling obesity most of his life. The Project will be based on NowLetsGetFit’s website, which will allow followers to stay informed on Lorenzen’s weight loss.

Lorenzen will also have many advantages and benefits along the way to help him accomplish his weight loss goal.

West Coast Customs has built Lorenzen a specialized mobile gym to make it easier for Lorenzen to get his workouts in. Lorenzen plans on taking his mobile gym with him to various communities throughout Kentucky, encouraging people to workout alongside him.

Lorenzen will also have a team of high-profile nutritionists and trainers helping him lose weight along the way including Philip Goglia and Gunnar Peterson.

Peterson will be Lorenzen’s trainer during the quarterback’s mission to lose weight. Peterson has been a personal trainer for over 20 years and trains various celebrities and professional athletes.

“I’m lucky, truly I’m really lucky to have the team that I have kind of surrounding me right now,” Lorenzen said in the video. “With Gunnar and his expertise, Goglia and his expertise, it’s a big deal.”

Lorenzen will also have the support of the community on his journey to a healthier lifestyle. The Jared Lorenzen Project Facebook page has over 16,500 followers, and a GoFundMe page setup by the project has raised over $500 dollars since the project launched.

Lorenzen also plans on keeping the community involved by going on organized walks. Lorenzen will be in different communities throughout the project, so starting on Sept. 6, Lorenzen will be hosting a community walk every Wednesday in whichever area he happens to be in.

“What I want is to have everyone out there just moving, whether it’s walking around the community, whether it’s walking around the neighborhood, whether you’re just in your house,” Lorenzen said in a recent Facebook post on the Project’s page. “Look if it’s raining, even if it’s just in your house, lets just get out here and lets just get this thing going.”

Lorenzen will likely have many guests on these walks, as many fans have supported Lorenzen’s cause on the Facebook page. Lorenzen’s journey from 500 pounds to a healthy lifestyle will be difficult, but he’s got the resources and support to make it happen.

To stay updated on Lorenzen’s Project, follow The Jared Lorenzen Project on Facebook, and on nowletsgetfit.com.