Provided

JC Tretter, left, on the field.

This is how aspiring NFL player JC Tretter '13 is spending his winter break: He rises at 5:50 a.m. to begin a more than 12-hour day that includes rehab and treatments twice daily, stretching, speed and agility drills, weight lifting, mental conditioning and nutrition training, an ice bath and oxygen therapy in a hyperbaric chamber.

He's prepping for the Jan. 26 Senior Bowl All-Star Game in Mobile, Ala., where NFL scouts will be watching.

"The motto down here is that you have eight weeks to set yourself up for the rest of your life. So, I am extremely dedicated to the program. I just want to do everything I can to get better every day," said Tretter, a tackle for the Big Red football team and ILR School student.

At the IMG Academy's football program in Bradenton, Fla., Tretter is learning how to play offensive guard -- his Senior Bowl position -- with help from former NFL players Tom Nutten and Dave Wohlabaugh.

Nutritionists plan just about every morsel consumed each day by Tretter, who weighs 305 pounds.

"They provide you with vitamins and fish oil in the morning. Then, supplements three times a day. Every meal is picked out for you, depending on your circumstances," he said.

Tretter will miss the first week of classes this semester, but he said professors have been supportive of his Senior Bowl participation.

"The way they see it is that I am going to be representing Cornell -- and especially Cornell Athletics -- on a national stage, which is a great opportunity."

Managing muscle soreness, especially the first week of training, has been a daily factor, Tretter said.

The most unstructured parts of Tretter's days are mealtimes. "We don't get many breaks throughout the day ... we mostly relax during lunch and dinner ... it's nice to just sit around and talk to the other guys who are down here. Then, after dinner, we will go back and watch some television for a little bit, then head off to bed."

Mary Catt is assistant director of communications at the ILR School.