Smells Like Team Spirit – NFL Superstitions and Sideline Secrets
- Lauren Gervais
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
Let’s dive into the sacred, strange and slightly chaotic rituals behind football’s biggest obsessions.
In the world of sports, superstitions are the name of the game. They can be the reason a team makes a last-minute touchdown or fumbles to lose by one. While some of us believe in them more than others, no league shows its commitment to superstitions quite like the NFL. “The most superstitious people in the world are NFL players,” Brandon Short, a former New York Giants linebacker, said in an interview. Between fans, players and coaches, over the decades, some superstitions have proven to work so many times that it’s hard to believe they don’t honestly play a part in a win. Here are some of the wildest superstitions in football…they really are something.
Tabasco Shots Anyone?
No, Mr. Smith, just the one for you. Minnesota Vikings Safety Harrison Smith has a pregame ritual that involves drinking a cup of coffee and eating half of a plain bagel. Seems normal, right? Wrong. He also pairs this normal meal with a full shot of Tabasco sauce. Although this is only during noon kickoffs, “the hot sauce is mandatory,” Smith says in order to wake him up.
“Mom, it’s educational!”
I think video games have a bad reputation for being a waste of time, but what if they helped you win a Super Bowl? Emmanuel Sanders, a former wide receiver for the Denver Broncos, used the Madden game to prepare himself before each game. He would play the opposing team (and win) as a pre-game ritual, and we can’t knock him for it! He’s a Super Bowl champion!
A New Yorker’s Dream Combination
Grab a slice of New York-style pizza and New York cheesecake, cause we’re prepping for a game over here! Eagles placekicker, Jake Elliott, has a slice of pizza and cheesecake for dinner before every game. This superstition started back in his freshman year at the University of Memphis, and the streak has continued. He’s won two Super Bowls with the Eagles, so maybe this weird combination is really the key to success.
Slap me. Go ahead, slap me, it’s good luck.
This is what I imagine John Henderson’s pre-game pep talk to end with. A former defensive tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Henderson always asked the team trainer before the game to slap him on the face (full wind-up) to shake the jitters off. This brings another definition to “slapping some sense” into someone. But hey, registering a career total of 489 tackles and 29 sacks doesn’t come easy; it just comes with a slap.
Honey, where are my infinity stones?
You may not think it, but Tom Brady was a crystal user too! He was gifted some “special protection and healing stones” along with a necklace by Gisele Bündchen and used them before each game. While he didn’t believe in their power at first, after using them before the New England Patriots' win against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX, he wouldn’t give them up again. “I stopped questioning her a long time ago,” Brady said in an interview. “I just shut up and listen.” So, for all my crystal lovers out there who get questioned, just mention the GOAT uses them too and you’ll see just how many people are going to be lining up to buy some quartz and tiger’s eye for the next game.
Journaling or call sheet?
Writing things down and taking time away from distractions to journal are great ways to clear your mind; it’s a tale as old as time. While some prefer writing down their thoughts, Kansas City Coach Matt Nagy likes to write out his call sheet for the next day. “Some guys will sleep; others will watch a movie; others will go for a walk. And a lot of guys just like to clear their minds,” Coach Nagy said in an interview. “Me, I type out my call sheet.” Some journal, some write call sheets, it’s all about focusing and clearing the mind. Whatever works!
The right way to start is left.
Benardrick McKinney is a former NFL linebacker, and he had the right…uh, I mean left, superstition to feel prepared for each game. As he got dressed for each game, he would put everything on the left first. “My left sock has to go on before my right sock. My left shoe has to go on before my right shoe,” the linebacker admitted. “If not, I feel like it’s bad luck.” Somehow, I completely understand his reasoning. It just sounds right. No, left!
Speed Round:
Patrick Mahomes wears the same pair of underwear for each game.
Josh Jacobs wears a No. 8 diamond-encrusted, 14-carat necklace to remind him of his breakout year in high school when he used to wear the number eight.
Josh Allen has to throw up before each game.
Matt Bryant drinks a chocolate milkshake the night before every game and has since he entered the NFL.
Marshawn Lynch eats a handful of Skittles before every game because it reminds him of his mom giving them to him as a teenager who called them “power pellets.” (He also took a shot of Hennessy, but his mother was not the one who started that superstition.)
Marcell Dareus listens to Teddy Pendergrass, Marvin Gaye and Al Green before to mellow himself out (oldies but goldies!).
Chris Jones eats the Chiefs' defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, wife’s homemade meatballs before every Super Bowl game since the 2019 season win.
Ron Rivera, former coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles, wore the same Nike shoes for multiple games at a time.
George Kittle refuses to watch a field goal because he believes that when he does, the kicker will always miss.
It’s clear that what Brandon Short said was true: NFL players are the most superstitious people you may ever come across. But it doesn’t just stop at the players and coaches, some teams have fans who are convinced that their superstitions can make or break the team's ability to win a game:
Philadelphia Eagles: fans eat cheesesteaks from Joe’s, Pat’s or Geno’s (authentic Philly cheesesteak restaurants in Philadelphia).
Dallas Cowboys: fans refuse to eat Philadelphia cream cheese because it brings back luck.
Detroit Lions: fans wear Barry Sanders jerseys until the Lions lose.
Cleveland Browns: not using the bathroom during the game.
Pittsburgh Steelers: The “Terrible Towel Twirl” is a tradition that fans started, but the team has continued.
But the wildest fanbase I have heard of when it comes to superstitions is none other than the Green Bay Packers fans. A survey was conducted in 2024 just to see which fans were the most superstitious across the five major professional leagues in the United States. Their findings? Well to no surprise, NFL fans were ranked the most superstitious, but coming in at third, across the nation were the Green Bay Packers fans. These superstitious fans have gone years without washing some items of clothing, and one fan, Meg Flemming, has said that she’s worn the same Packers anklet since she was ten years old. “I definitely want to take it off,” Meg said when explaining the reasoning for wearing it for so long: she’s waiting for the Packers to win their next Super Bowl. “I just love the Packers and I want them to win so badly.” Now if that isn’t dedication, I don’t know what is.
Don’t get me wrong, do some of these sound a little far-fetched? Absolutely. But do some of them seem to be working and paying off? 100%. So, at the end of the day, who am I to say what is or isn’t a good ritual to have? I mean we all have a hint of superstition to us when it comes to our teams, we might just not notice it. Don’t worry, this is a safe space where all of your superstitions are welcome. Just promise me you’ll warn me before you walk in with a jersey that hasn’t been washed in over a decade? I’ll just need to get my scented candles out; they’ll fit perfectly beside the one I burn before the start of each game…hey, wait a second.
Edited by Madison Roost
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