Zane Gonzalez is speaking out about his relationship with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) after television cameras captured his pre-kick routine during last weekend’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Gonzalez, who is in his first season with the Washington Commanders, was seen alternating between fixing his hair, adjusting his socks and putting his helmet on and taking it off on his head.
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Zane Gonzalez of the Washington Commanders celebrates after defeating the Buccaneers in the NFC wild-card game at Raymond James Stadium on January 12, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Moments after Gonzalez completed his ritual, he kicked a 37-yard field goal to lift the Commanders to a 23-20 victory over the Bucs. Washington will travel to Detroit to face the top-seeded Lions in the divisional round.
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Although there was speculation that Gonzalez’s actions were simply part of a sporting superstition, the kicker said it actually stemmed from his OCD.
“If anything, my wife and family are even more upset about it than I am,” Gonzalez told the Washington Post.
Washington Commanders kicker Zane Gonzalez, right, is congratulated by his teammates after scoring the game-winning field goal against the Buccaneers in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
“I’m used to it.… Anyone who has known me or seen me play has seen me do it a million times. Being on such a big stage Sunday night, a winning game, it draws a little more attention , I’ve learned this is who I am, and this is what I’m going through, and I, of all people, realize how crazy it sounds, I’m aware of it. .
Gonzalez was diagnosed with the illness as a child, and this isn’t the first time he’s spoken out about his condition. In 2017, he told ESPN: “OCD makes you a perfectionist and more detail-oriented. Off the field, it’s painful. »
The former Arizona State kicker said he implemented methods to counter some of the disorder’s impacts on his daily life and applied those practices to his game day preparations.
Zane Gonzalez of the Washington Commanders scores a 52-yard field goal against the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on January 12, 2025 in Tampa. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
“There are certain things I try to do to keep it as low-key as possible, just figure it out, do it and whatever prepares me mentally to go on the field, do it,” he said. -he declared. “The helmet thing is literally the last thing I do.”
Gonzalez did not play in the NFL in 2022 or 2023, but he was signed to Washington’s practice squad in November 2024 and was subsequently elevated to the active roster. He has made 5 of 7 field goals this season, while also hitting 100% of his extra point attempts.
