Philadelphia Eagles running back Jay Ajayi spent part of his offseason on a self-described "world tour," which included a bit of a dream trip back to his hometown of London, where he got to show off the Lombardi trophy, address the English soccer team in front of the World Cup, and even try a penalty kick on the pitch at Wembley Stadium. Like many of his teammates, he made sure to enjoy the fruits of the team's Super Bowl success.

Eagles coach Doug Pederson said Jay Ajayi showed up in "great shape, great health" for offseason work. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

But early returns show that it wasn't all play for the 24-year-old. When asked who came back from the break looking physically impressive, the first person coach Doug Pederson mentioned was Ajayi, saying that he showed up in "great shape, great health."

The extra steps he's taking appear to be paying off. Ajayi told reporters at his locker stall following practice Tuesday that he has hired a personal chef to get his diet right, and brought his trainer to Philly with him this offseason to ensure that his downtime is maximized. It's all part of an effort to set himself up well for an all-important season, both personally and for the franchise.

Ajayi, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, is attempting to re-establish himself as a lead back. That's the role he had early on with the Miami Dolphins. In 2016, his second season in the pros, he toted the ball 260 times and finished with the fourth-most rushing yards in the league -- 1,272 -- with eight touchdowns.

He did not find the same level of success early on with the Dolphins last season, as his yards per attempt dipped from 4.9 to 3.4. Ajayi was dealt to Philly at the trade deadline for a fourth-round pick.

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He adapted well to his new environment and immediately made an impact despite having little knowledge of the system. In his first game with the Eagles, he broke off a 46-yard touchdown run and paced the team with 77 yards. Though he performed strongly overall, averaging close to 6 yards per carry post-trade, Pederson chose to stick with a heavy rotation that included Corey Clement and was often led by LeGarrette Blount. With Blount leaving for the Detroit Lions in free agency, and with a half-season in this offense under his belt, Ajayi is now eyeing an expanded role.

"It's kind of a year and a half removed from being the guy, so I'm excited to kind of get back in that role and showcase again to the world what I can do," he said.

"I would like to consider myself a workhorse running back, a grinder. I believe it's tough for a defense to go against me for four quarters, just getting me running on the attack and pounding, pounding. For me, personally, I feel like that second half ... is where I can see the defense wearing down, and that's when I can make a lot of my big runs and just take advantage of guys [wearing] down from tackles and being tired and exhausted, and just being that dog that never lets up."

In advance of that opportunity, one of the priorities this offseason was to eat healthier, so Ajayi hired the chef.

"He's basically providing the meals and he's been in contact with our nutritionist here. It's about him providing the right stuff," he said. "I'm not really eating out all the time anymore and I think it's more organic products and stuff like that. So it's just keeping my body feeling real good. My trainer said that's going to be key to having me fueled and ready to go for a great year."

The 6-foot, 223-pound Ajayi added that he's been in the weight room more because of the way his body is feeling.

There are questions about Ajayi's future, both as it applies to his long-term outlook with the Eagles and beyond. Due $1.9 million this season, he could prove to be a bargain if he produces as expected and fits well into the overall salary structure. But are the Eagles willing to invest significant money in him as he approaches free agency? There's also the health of his right knee to consider. Concerns about cartilage issues in that knee reportedly factored into Miami's decision to move on from him.

It won't be long until those questions about his future become more pressing. For now, Ajayi's focus is on emerging as the leader in the backfield -- a group that includes Clement and the 34-year-old Darren Sproles -- and delivering Philadelphia its second Lombardi trophy in as many seasons.

"We're trying to sharpen each other out on this practice field and get ready to do something special," he said. "Not many teams can say they've done it back to back. That's something we have our eyes set on, getting another one, bringing another one back to Philly. That starts now."