Opinion
‘I couldn’t catch my breath’: Fifteen players and coaches reveal tales of Super Bowl anxiety
In making ready for his first Tremendous Bowl in February 2014, Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner didn’t actually stress about going through Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos’ record-setting offense.
Wagner’s anxiousness surfaced on the opening kickoff.
“I used to be extra nervous about that second when all of the flashes occur,” Wagner instructed ESPN Seahawks reporter Brady Henderson. “It was bizarre. I all the time watched it on TV, and I all the time questioned if I’d pay extra consideration to that than the precise recreation. The kickoff, you dream of being within the recreation and that second and all of the flashes. I used to be type of taking note of that too lengthy, then I snapped again.”
As soon as the glare from the flashes had pale, Wagner was an intimidating pressure from sideline to sideline, recording 10 tackles within the Seahawks’ 43-8 triumph in Tremendous Bowl XLVIII. Smartphones have made the explosion of digicam flashes out of date, however intense pregame jitters stay as a lot of a fixture on the Tremendous Bowl because the Lombardi Trophy.
Gamers and coaches all have recollections of coping with nerves earlier than the Tremendous Bowl, which is likely one of the largest sporting occasions on this planet. Broadcast in additional than 170 international locations, the Tremendous Bowl is watched by a median of 100 million folks.
For some, the anxiousness may be extreme. The Philadelphia Eagles’ Brandon Brooks and Lane Johnson raised consciousness about anxiousness by sharing their tales. It grew to become so intense that it induced them to overlook video games, and vomiting grew to become a daily a part of their pregame routine. Brooks retired in January.
For others, anxiousness appears to behave as a gauge, indicating they’re about to take part in one thing momentous.
Coping mechanisms can vary from making a distraction to only ready for that first hit. Andre Rison, who performed for the Inexperienced Bay Packers in Tremendous Bowl XXXI, discovered a pair methods to take care of the nerves.
“I used to be nervous, so I known as Deion Sanders and we talked hours earlier than kickoff,” Rison instructed ESPN reporter Eric Woodyard. “He had already performed in a single. The remaining was historical past.”
Rison scored on a 54-yard TD go from Brett Favre to assist lead the Packers to a 35-21 win over the New England Patriots.
“I additionally acquired plenty of paintings performed on my physique to take my thoughts off the large recreation,” Rison stated.
Tales of Tremendous Bowl anxiousness differ, however they’ve a standard theme: This isn’t like every other recreation.
— ESPN Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley
Editor’s notice: Some responses have been edited for readability and brevity.
Doug Baldwin: ‘Who’s in opposition to me?’
Main as much as Tremendous Bowl XLVIII, some analysts stated Seattle’s receiver group was nothing particular with out Percy Harvin. Cris Carter known as them “appetizers,” resulting in a back-and-forth with Doug Baldwin that included this memorable line from Carter: “Google me, man. See if I ain’t within the Corridor of Fame.”
After the Seahawks’ victory, Baldwin was answering questions on the podium, with a hat commemorating their Tremendous Bowl championship resting subsequent to the microphone. A reporter requested him to provide you with a headline for the story his workforce simply wrote. Baldwin answered merely: “Google that.”
“For me, it was all the time about discovering some sort of motivation outdoors of the conventional to type of recover from these anxiousness emotions. So my mindset was, who’s in opposition to me? Who needs to speak s— about my capabilities or the receiver room’s capabilities and what we’re all about? In search of these out to type of fight the anxiousness emotions to present me one thing to deal with, one thing else to combat for. So with the primary Tremendous Bowl, it was Cris Carter and several other different guys speaking s— in regards to the receivers’ room.
“I’m looking for some slight in order that it addresses that anxiousness for me, so I don’t actually should take care of it.”
Doug Baldwin
“However the gist is, I feel everyone handles anxiousness in a different way. Clearly, I felt it main as much as the sport, as a result of you may have two weeks to arrange. However I feel my technique was, how do I discover a further motivator that may get me to the purpose the place the anxiousness doesn’t matter? I’m looking for some slight in order that it addresses that anxiousness for me, so I don’t actually should take care of it. I don’t know if that’s a wholesome solution to deal with it, however it served me properly within the [competitive] enviornment.”
— Henderson
Carl Banks: ‘Rattling, I’m within the Tremendous Bowl’
Banks is a two-time champion linebacker with the New York Giants who performed in Tremendous Bowls XXI and XXV.
“Any participant that has participated that didn’t dream that complete week of getting a sure sort of recreation or sure performs is mendacity to you. So, I dreamed about simply making performs, and I studied loads, however there’s anxiousness and [you feel] the magnitude of the second if you step on the sphere, however by the point that anthem is over, it’s simply soccer.
“You understand that you just’re within the Tremendous Bowl. It’s the participant introductions, that complete factor after which the nationwide anthem performs, and by the top of that anthem, it hits you. Like, ‘Rattling, I’m within the Tremendous Bowl, and right here we go.’ Then, it’s soccer after that, although.”
— Woodyard
Lance Briggs: ‘That is the largest second of our life’
Briggs helped a Bears workforce fueled by its protection attain Tremendous Bowl XLI, which Chicago misplaced to Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts 29-17.
“I had larger nerves within the playoffs main as much as the Tremendous Bowl. That one-and-done feeling was worse than the lead-up to the large recreation.
“The factor I keep in mind was the locker room. It was fascinating to me. Subsequent to our identify tag, it had the Tremendous Bowl patch, in order you’re getting dressed you’re considering that is the largest second of our life.”
Lance Briggs
“The factor I keep in mind was the locker room. It was fascinating to me. Subsequent to our identify tag, it had the Tremendous Bowl patch, in order you’re getting dressed you’re considering that is the largest second of our life.
“I do keep in mind throughout warm-ups there have been so many flashing lights, so many individuals taking footage. I had by no means seen something like that. However it didn’t make me nervous. It gave me a sense of accomplishment. It’s so arduous to get to a Tremendous Bowl, so I used to be telling myself, don’t let the second get too huge.”
— ESPN reporter Jesse Rogers
Kevin Butler: ‘I didn’t need to let Walter Payton down’
Butler was a rookie kicker for the 1985 Bears, who routed the Patriots 46-10 in Tremendous Bowl XX in New Orleans.
“I used to be nervous. The morning after the championship recreation you understand you’re going to the Tremendous Bowl, and as a rookie coming in, you’re simply taking part in it week to week, making an attempt to combat the nerves.
“There have been some demons going into the Tremendous Bowl as a result of I needed to remain excellent after that championship recreation.”
Kevin Butler
“I had an up-and-down playoff. In [the divisional round against the Giants], on the windiest day I’ve ever performed in, I missed three area targets. So I had a heck of per week with nerves main into the NFC Championship Recreation in opposition to the Rams, however I had a very good recreation [4-for-4, including an extra point]. However there have been some demons going into the Tremendous Bowl as a result of I needed to remain excellent after that championship recreation.
“The nerves have been there, however not a lot due to the magnitude of the soccer recreation. I had performed in huge video games all through my profession, at Georgia and different locations. I used to be nervous in regards to the second. I didn’t need to let Walter Payton down. I didn’t need to let Dan Hampton down. These have been the place my nerves got here from. The yr earlier than, a few of these guys have been my heroes. The additional stress got here from myself, not a lot from the sport itself.”
— Rogers
Gary Fencik: This was going to be the final time we have been all collectively
Fencik was the beginning free security for the ’85 Bears.
“For me, one of many huge points was early within the week, our defensive coordinator, Buddy Ryan, instructed me confidentially that he can be leaving to be the pinnacle coach of the Eagles after the sport. So this was going to be the final time we have been all collectively. So I don’t know if it was nerves, however we had a really emotional evening earlier than the sport. With two weeks to arrange, we have been prepared. However we needed to win for all these causes.
“The opposite factor that was nerve-wracking was coming by way of for individuals who for a decade stated to me, ‘Hey, should you ever get to a Tremendous Bowl, name me up I’d love some tickets.’ I had 5 brothers and sisters, and also you solely get so many tickets. I needed to get a home for them in Mississippi. I needed to get a resort for my dad and mom. I had faculty buddies asking. It was loopy. And so through the week, I used to be two tickets brief. I used to be performed. I had no entry apart from going out to scalp two tickets. So I had dinner with Bob Verdi, columnist with the Tribune. I instructed him I used to be completely in hassle with tickets. He stated he may have the ability to assist me out. He acquired me two unbelievable tickets below the situation that I by no means point out it to anybody. That is the primary time I’m revealing that in over 30 years. He saved my butt. That was as huge a problem as the sport.”
— Rogers
Grady Jarrett: ‘That was an incredible second for me’
The Falcons defensive sort out had three sacks in Tremendous Bowl LI, however his huge efficiency got here in a shedding effort because the Patriots overcame a 28-3 deficit to win 34-28.
“It positively was a surreal second for me. It was simply an thrilling time. Anyone who tells you that it’s simply one other day, it’s simply one other recreation, it’s simply unfaithful.
“You’re positively trying round, taking within the setting. It was one of many pre-walk-through stadium issues, I can’t keep in mind if we did it the day earlier than, and in Houston, they’d the JumboTron the place they have been placing the roster up and your image up. And my identify got here up and my image, and for me to see my identify up there on the highest getting ready to play a Tremendous Bowl, that was an incredible second for me. And I’m certain it was for everyone on the sphere.”
— ESPN Falcons reporter Michael Rothstein
Ray Lewis: ‘You bought to relax, sugar, you bought to relax’
Lewis is a two-time Tremendous Bowl champion. He earned MVP honors whereas serving to the Ravens beat the Giants in Tremendous Bowl XXXV after which had seven tackles in a win over the 49ers in Tremendous Bowl XLVII.
“I all the time had a assured, nervous power. It was by no means like the sport was too huge or anxiousness kicked in. It was by no means that for me, it was all the time within the second, I used to be so within the second.
“Rod Woodson used to inform me on a regular basis, ‘You bought to relax, sugar, you bought to relax.’ As a result of I used to be simply all the time prepared for the second. … Let’s get by way of all of those flags and fly cross and let’s get the ball snapped. In all of my profession, I might let you know this, I used to be all the time ready to steer.”
— Hensley
Lincoln Kennedy: ‘I used to be exhausted’
Kennedy was the Oakland Raiders’ proper sort out in Tremendous Bowl XXXVII, which they misplaced to former coach Jon Gruden and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48-21. Kennedy grew up in San Diego, which was the location of the sport, making a hometown feeling, for higher or worse.
“The general anxiousness comes from coping with the unknown. You’re on the precipice of the largest recreation you’ve ever performed, and there’s an unfamiliarity with what goes on and what goes into the Tremendous Bowl. And should you don’t respect that, irrespective of what number of instances you’ve performed in it, you’re not ready for it.
“And we have been the final of the one-weekers [there was one week between the conference title games and the Super Bowl in 2003, the last time that happened]. So when you’re there [and there’s a two-week gap], you take care of all that anxiousness of the unknown and the hype and all that the primary week. Then, the second week, it’s again to regular. Besides, we didn’t have that second week.
“On a private stage, my week was a double-edged sword. We have been taking part in in my house metropolis — San Diego. All the things was simply … further. I used to be the speak of the city. I used to be everybody’s VIP. I needed to be in all places, and I used to be, so I used to be extraordinarily stretched out. By the point the sport got here, I used to be exhausted.”
— ESPN Raiders reporter Paul Gutierrez
Rob Ninkovich: ‘I used to be so nervous. It was ‘I’ve to win”
Ninkovich was a Patriots linebacker who went 2-1 in Tremendous Bowls. After shedding in Tremendous Bowl XLVI to the Giants, he was on championship groups in Tremendous Bowls XLIX and LI.
“We’re taking part in in Arizona, in opposition to the Seahawks [in Super Bowl XLIX on February 1, 2015], and the sphere was tremendous slippery. Invoice [Belichick] got here in and mandated that everybody put on seven-stud cleats [longer ones used for slippery or sloppy fields]. The primary play of the sport, I slip so dangerous. It was an outdoor run, I had two tight ends on me. I hit the primary tight finish, I acquired bounced out, and it’s everyone’s hats to the ball as a result of it’s Marshawn Lynch. I run and attempt to minimize, and each ft slip out from beneath me. That they had painted the entire area inexperienced, and it was tremendous slimy. Very moist and slippery.
“All week I stored considering, I haven’t received a Tremendous Bowl. I actually haven’t performed something. Particularly if you play for the Patriots, everybody assumes you’ve received a Tremendous Bowl.”
Rob Ninkovich
“When Invoice mandated the seven studs, it was type of like a psychological [game]. I hated sporting seven studs as a result of in direction of the top I had dangerous Achilles tendinitis. Every time I put seven studs on, I felt like my toes have been raised greater than my heels, and I felt prefer it put added stress on my Achilles. So I used to be nervous I used to be going to tear my Achilles. However it was the Tremendous Bowl, so I used to be like, ‘Screw it! If I tear it, I tear it.’ I used to inform guys this — ‘If it pops at the moment, it pops. It’s been enjoyable!’ They’d all be like, ‘Shut up, Ninko!’
“The entire cleat factor was perhaps a blessing in disguise as a result of it took my thoughts off the magnitude of the sport. All week I stored considering, ‘I haven’t received a Tremendous Bowl. I actually haven’t performed something.’ Particularly if you play for the Patriots, everybody assumes you’ve received a Tremendous Bowl. They hadn’t received in 10 years at that time. So I had extra nerves going into that second one. I used to be so nervous. It was ‘I’ve to win. I’ve to have an important recreation. We have now to cease Lynch.’ After which within the third one, I didn’t have many nerves as a result of I knew it was my final recreation. It was ‘I’m going to go play and hopefully we win.’”
— ESPN Patriots reporter Mike Reiss
Invoice Parcells: ‘It’s identical to Elvis in Las Vegas’
Parcells coached the New York Giants to 2 Tremendous Bowl wins, beating the Broncos in Tremendous Bowl XXI after which edging the Buffalo Payments in Tremendous Bowl XXV.
“After we have been near the Tremendous Bowl [XXI in Pasadena, California], I simply needed to get it going. In different phrases, we had been ready too lengthy for it. All of the work was performed and I used to be able to play. Let’s go.
“The sport was at 3:18 on the Pacific coast, and I used to be within the stadium in my dressing room at 1 / 4 to eight. I needed to get out of the resort and get into my setting.
“It’s an thrilling time. That’s what I keep in mind. I don’t suppose ‘butterflies’ is the suitable phrase. I feel ‘impatience’ may be extra the suitable phrase.”
Invoice Parcells
“It’s an thrilling time. That’s what I keep in mind. I don’t suppose butterflies is the suitable phrase. I feel impatience may be extra the suitable phrase.
“[In the tunnel before the game] I wasn’t enthusiastic about my life’s journey or something like that. It was extra like, ‘That is actually the large present.’ I imply, it’s identical to Elvis in Las Vegas. Everyone is watching.
“One of many issues that involved me was the man who did the sphere — George Toma — he instructed me the sphere was a little bit oily. I used to be on the market fairly early on, I need to say 9, 9:30, simply type of looking for the spots the place it may be slippery. I do know the top zone bleachers have been very near the top zone, so I used to be capable of warn my receivers, be sure you’re cautious should you’re going out of the again of the top zone. It sounds silly, however I used to be simply searching for some slippery spots on the sphere, stuff like that. I used to be making an attempt to determine the place the shadows have been going to be, the place you’re going to have the solar, the place you’re not. That type of stuff.”
— ESPN Jets reporter Wealthy Cimini
Patterson is normally carefree earlier than video games, jokes round with teammates and with followers, tosses the ball into the stands to play catch with followers for a minimum of quarter-hour as a part of his pregame warm-up. And he did that earlier than Tremendous Bowl LIII as a member of the Patriots, though he admits now it was all just a bit bit completely different.
“I used to be nervous the entire recreation. Couldn’t hear. Couldn’t breathe. My coronary heart was simply pounding the entire recreation. It was completely different, man, the entire recreation was completely different.
“I used to be doing my little [pregame] routine, however I simply acquired tremendous drained. I don’t know, it’s bizarre. You bought to be there to essentially perceive. It’s arduous to clarify.
“[He kept telling himself:] It’s a recreation. It’s a recreation. It’s nonetheless a recreation, one thing we’ve been doing our complete life, simply are available in and play the sport.”
— Rothstein
Dean Pees: ‘Do your regular routine’
Pees was the Patriots’ linebackers coach for Tremendous Bowl XXXVIII and defensive coordinator for Tremendous Bowls XXXIX and XLII. He was the Ravens’ defensive coordinator for Tremendous Bowl XLVII.
“The very first Tremendous Bowl I went to, with New England, Invoice Belichick did an unimaginable job of speaking to the gamers — as a result of they’d already been to 1 the yr earlier than and two years previous to that — of telling the blokes within the pregame, don’t exit and get all overrated and spend all of your power within the pregame as a result of it’s the Tremendous Bowl. Guys are going on the market, they’re all amped up and all these items and all excited and going 110 miles an hour in pregame. Do your regular routine.
“I all the time felt that was a bonus his groups had as a result of he type of had them toned down, and also you see different groups on the market simply leaping round and going loopy and yeah, they appear good for the primary two collection, and by the third collection half of them are hyperventilating as a result of they expended all their power in pregame and at the beginning. He all the time did a very good job of protecting everyone calm and in routine.”
— Rothstein
Antwaan Randle El: ‘It’s only a matter of going out and hitting any individual’
The Steelers receiver threw a landing go in Tremendous Bowl XL to assist Pittsburgh beat the Seahawks.
“You could have jitters earlier than each recreation, so the Tremendous Bowl isn’t any completely different. It’s only a matter of going out and hitting any individual. In case you exit and hit any individual, even should you get hit and knocked down, it’s like, ‘All proper, I’m good.’
“Preparation kills plenty of that stuff. I imply you’re not getting your regular evening’s relaxation the evening earlier than the Tremendous Bowl, however I all the time took my Ambien anyway, so I used to be good. However, it simply comes right down to being ready, and when you’re ready, now it’s like, ‘Let me exit and make this catch. Let me exit and block any individual actually arduous or get knocked down’ and you then’re able to go.”
— Woodyard
Nate Solder: ‘I couldn’t catch my breath’
The previous Patriots offensive sort out performed in 4 Tremendous Bowls, going 2-2.
“You simply have a lot extra time to consider every part. ‘What in the event that they do that? What in the event that they try this?’ You could have a lot extra time to go in your personal head and over-worry about all that stuff.
“I keep in mind the entire recreation [in Super Bowl XLVI], I couldn’t catch my breath. A month later, I keep in mind I talked to one in every of my coaches from highschool, I stated, ‘It’s the weirdest factor. Even the littlest motion I made, I couldn’t catch my breath.’
“I used to be most likely holding my breath the entire time as a result of I used to be so nervous. You have a tendency to do this. Your pure capabilities lock up.”
Nate Solder
“He stated, ‘Have been you respiration?’ I stated, ‘In all probability not. I used to be most likely holding my breath the entire time as a result of I used to be so nervous.’
“You have a tendency to do this. Your pure capabilities lock up.”
— ESPN Giants reporter Jordan Raanan
