Morgan’s Game Day Grub with Gabriel Cota

Strawberry lemonade, wings and much more as Cota prepares for the Marines

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - Former Gila Ridge football standout Gabriel Cota may be preparing for the next chapter of his life in the U.S. Marine Corps, but he still makes time for some of his favorite comfort foods.

Cota joined KYMA Sports Director Morgan Feller for an episode of "Morgan's Game Day Grub" at Bubba's, where the recent Gila Ridge graduate discussed everything from his training diet to his unique food combinations.

Cota chose Bubba's because of its wide variety of American food, but one menu item stands above the rest.

"I'm a big fan of strawberry lemonade," Cota said. "Whenever I go somewhere that has lemonade, I always ask if they have strawberry lemonade. I don't think I've ordered regular lemonade since."

As he prepares to leave for Marine Corps training, Cota has dramatically increased his protein intake to keep up with his workouts.

His morning routine begins with six eggs, followed by a protein shake after training.

"I know people say that's a lot," Cota said with a laugh. "But I've eaten 12 eggs at one time before. My family loves eggs."

Cota said maintaining muscle has become a priority while balancing strength training with long-distance running.

"I'll have six eggs in the morning, make myself a turkey sandwich later in the day and then have a big dinner," he said. "After my workouts, I always have a protein shake because with all the running, you're losing muscle."

When he's not focused on nutrition, Cota isn't afraid to experiment in the kitchen.

He said he puts ranch dressing on nearly everything, including pizza, spaghetti and even plain noodles.

"One day my mom left plain noodles in the fridge, and I didn't know what to eat, so I put ranch on them. It was great, and ever since then I've been putting ranch on everything."

Wings are another favorite because of the endless flavor combinations.

"When you get wings, you can change the flavor every time," Cota said. "It's still chicken, but it always tastes different."

Despite his love for food, Cota rarely eats before football games.

"I usually don't eat before games because of the nerves and excitement," he said. "I feel like I play better when I'm hungry. I just stay hydrated with water and electrolytes."

That approach wasn't always the case.

Cota recalled one memorable practice during his freshman year at Yuma Catholic when he and several teammates decided to eat an entire container of raw cookie dough before taking the field.

"We all ended up throwing up at practice," Cota said. "Coach was wondering why four guys were sick."

Now focused on the Marine Corps, Cota has traded cookie dough for a disciplined diet built around protein.