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Tipping the scales: Former athletes prepare to hit the gym in 'The Biggest Loser'

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Jacqueline Spendlove / TV Media
Bob Harper as seen in “The Biggest Loser”

Bob Harper as seen in “The Biggest Loser”

You might think an NFL player, an Olympic gold medalist and a former tennis pro would have the whole fitness regimen thing permanently in the bag.

“The Biggest Loser,” however, is about to demonstrate that this isn’t necessarily the case. The upcoming season of the reality series has been branded “Glory Days,” and the list of overweight contestants comprises 20 former athletes looking to shed some weight and, well, regain their former glory. The season premieres Thursday, Sept. 11, on NBC, complete with some fresh talent and a new twist.

Over the course of its run, “The Biggest Loser” has helped hundreds of overweight contestants -- many dangerously so -- change their lives by slimming way down and taking on a healthier lifestyle. On average, the winners of the past 15 seasons have lost nearly half of their body weight, and the “Glory Days” gang is hoping to achieve similar results as they sweat their way towards the $250,000 grand prize that’s awarded to the contestant with the highest percentage of weight lost.

This time around, though, the contestants have the added incentive of not just getting thin, but getting back the athleticism they once enjoyed. Everyone on board for this kick at the can has a history in sports, most just at the high school or college level, but some bear names you might recognize.

Enter two-time Super Bowl champion Damien Woody, an offensive linesman in the NFL for 12 years. His size may have served him well on the gridiron, but at 388 pounds, Woody now has a hard time keeping up with his seven kids and is ready to get healthy.

Fellow NFL alumnus Scott Mitchell, most recently a quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, lost his dad to obesity-related causes earlier this year. At 366 pounds, Mitchell now has high blood pressure and sleep apnea. His weight has been an issue for the past 10 years or so, and he’s aware that he could be headed in the same direction as his dad if he doesn’t turn things around.

Weighing in at 301 pounds, Lori Harrigan-Mack has not only won three Olympic gold medals in softball, but she also pitched the first no-hitter in Olympic history. Out of the competitive softball game for the past decade, Harrigan-Mack, like Mitchell and Woody, wants to live a long life with her child and her spouse.

The contestants won’t be the only new faces you’ll see this season. With Jillian Michaels’ third departure from the show following last season’s controversial finale, two new trainers will be stepping in alongside Bob Harper and Dolvett Quince to lend their fitness expertise to the group of one-time jocks -- Jessie Pavelka and Jennifer Widerstrom.

"We always want to stay fresh," executive producer and creator David Broome told "Today.com." "We’ve had discussions season after season about looking for new trainers. We just haven’t been able to find the right trainers at the level we need for a show like this. So when we (found Jessie and Jennifer), we jumped on it, and we’re extremely excited for this season."

The contestants in “The Biggest Loser”

The contestants in “The Biggest Loser”

Pavelka is a veteran when it comes to slimming people down in front of the camera. Across the pond, he encouraged viewers from all over the U.K. to reach their fitness goals by making just one small change each day on ITV’s “Motivation Nation.” He also starred on Sky TV’s “Obese: A Year to Save My Life” and “Fat: The Fight of My Life,” in which he helped morbidly obese Brits get control over their eating habits and adopt more healthy lifestyles.

Stateside, he’s appeared on Lifetime Network’s “DietTribe” and “Wake Up Workout With Gaiam” on OWN, so he’s clearly not afraid of being in the spotlight.

Nor is Widerstrom, who will also be lending her prowess to the show this season. A former “American Gladiators” star, Widerstrom has also been featured on “Access Hollywood Live” and 3V’s “30-Second Fitness” shorts. Both trainers are certified through the National Association of Sports Medicine (NASM) and are more than ready to dive right in.

Harper, who’s been on the show from the start, will actually be in a different position this time around. “The Biggest Loser” is taking a cue from “Survivor” this season and incorporating its own version of the latter’s “Redemption Island” -- which will come as a surprise to the contestants once it’s initially put into play.

When they’re eliminated, contestants won't be heading home, but they will instead be spirited off to “Comeback Canyon.” Here they’ll be met by Harper, whom they won’t even have seen this season up to this point. The castoffs’ training will continue with Harper, and they’ll participate in secret in a separate weekly weigh-in for the chance to come back into the competition with guns blazing later on in the season.

Bathing suit season may be coming to an end, but that won’t stop the new batch of contenders on “The Biggest Loser” from hitting the gym. When “Glory Days” kicks off, 20 former jocks will be on the road to regaining their younger physiques and athleticism -- and it sounds like it's going to be one heck of a workout. The 16th season of “The Biggest Loser” premieres Thursday, Sept. 11, on NBC.