The Strangest NFL Player Superstitions

The NFL is about skill, talent, and hard work, but you sometimes need a little luck. Fans have their own superstitions to try and give their favourite team good fortune on the field, but some players have their own rituals. 

Here’s a look at some of the strangest NFL player superstitions.

Michael Jackson was a musical superstar, and over the years, his songs have been enjoyed by millions. Frank Gore, the running back for Buffalo Bills, has a special connection to Jackson’s music and can’t go on the field until he’s listened to two of his tracks. 

But these aren't just any old songs. Gore's ritual involves listening to Man in the Mirror and Bad. Apparently, Gore chose these tracks because the lyrics encourage self-improvement, and they allow him to focus on his own performance and how he can contribute to the team. 

As rituals go, it's pretty harmless, but listening to the same two songs every time you play has got to get a bit boring, surely?!

In what might be the sweetest superstition in the whole of the NFL, George Kittle doesn't start a game without first reading a letter from his father. But this isn't the same letter he's reading; Kittle's dad writes him a new letter before every game. The tradition started when Kittle was a sophomore at Iowa and hasn't stopped now, he's a tight end playing for the 49ers. 

The contents of the letters vary; they include a random combination of trash-talking, useful notes on the opposition, reflections on the last game and sentimental words of inspiration. Kittle doesn't read the letter until he's in the changing room. He uses it as the final bit of prep before heading out onto the field.

Plenty of players like to eat a particular meal before they play, such as Jake Elliott, who eats pizza and cheesecake, and Chris Thompson, who orders waffles and an omelette. In contrast, Harrison Smith, safety for the Minnesota Vikings, struggles to work up an appetite before the match. 

Instead of wolfing down a hearty meal, Smith drinks a cup of coffee with a bagel and then has a shot of hot sauce to finish. The player says that he can't have too much coffee or else he gets cramps, but the hot sauce does the perfect job of firing him up without any side effects, apparently!

It's not so unusual to take a bath before a game, and there are other players who try to jump into the tub before running onto the field. However, Bengals cornerback B.W Webb doesn't just like to take a bath; he has a specific running order of what needs to be done. 

The tub has to be filled with hot water, bath salts and his favourite calming fragrance from Body and Bath Works. He climbs into the water, speaks to his girlfriend on the phone for precisely 15 minutes and then climbs out. All fairly typical so far, but Webb then wraps a towel around his waist and roams the halls of whatever hotel he is staying in until he finds a place to buy a Gatorade. 

So if you see a semi-naked football pro searching the lobby at your hotel, don't worry, as it's probably just Webb looking for the nearest vending machine!