Zane Gonzalez is opening up about his relationship with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) after television cameras captured his pre-kick routine during last weekend’s wild card round win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Gonzalez, who is in his first season with the Washington commanderswas seen alternately adjusting his hair, adjusting his socks and putting his helmet on and off his head.
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Zane Gonzalez of the Washington Commanders celebrates after beating 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 scored a 37-yard field goal to lift the Commanders to a 23-20 win over the Bucs. Washington will travel to Detroit to compete top seeded lions in the divisional round.
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While there was some speculation that Gonzalez’s actions were just part of a sports superstition, the kicker said it actually stems from his OCD.
“If anything, it upsets my wife and family even more than it upsets me,” Gonzalez said The Washington Post.
Washington Commanders place kicker Zane Gonzalez, right, is congratulated by teammates after scoring the game-winning field goal against the Buccaneers in Tampa, Florida, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
“I’m used to it. Anyone who knows me or has seen me kick has seen me do it a million times. Being on such a big stage on Sunday night as a competition winner, it attracts a little more attention, I” I have learned. It’s who I am, and it’s what I’m going through, and I realize, above all others, how crazy it seems to do it. But at the same time you can’t do anything about it.’
Gonzalez was diagnosed with the disorder during his childhood, 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 detailed. Off the field it’s a pain in the ass.”
The former State of Arizona kicker said he had implemented methods to counteract some of the disorder’s effects on his daily life and had applied these practices to his game day preparations.
Zane Gonzalez of the Washington Commanders kicks a 52-yard field goal against the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Jan. 12, 2025, in Tampa. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
“There’s a few things I try to do to keep it as under the radar as I can, just understand it, get it done and whatever gets me mentally ready to go on the field, do that,” he said . “The helmet thing is literally the last thing I do.”
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Gonzalez didn’t kick in the N.F.L in 2022 or 2023, but he was signed to Washington’s practice squad in November 2024 and later elevated to the active roster. He went 5-for-7 on field goals this season, while also making 100% of his extra point attempts.
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