Washington Commanders kicker Zane Gonzalez went viral on Sunday night after repeatedly playing with his hair before proving the hero in their dramatic playoff win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Gonzalez made the game-winning field goal as the Commanders snatched a 23-20 Wild Card victory over the Bucs right at the death – marking their first playoff win for almost two decades.
Yet before sending his decisive kick in off the upright, a number of fans were left baffled by how much the 29-year-old touched his hair before putting on his helmet and lining up for it.
In the viral clip, Gonzalez stops himself from putting his helmet on multiple times in order to run his fingers through his hair, leading to confusion on social media.
Yet unbeknown to most is that he suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, better known as OCD, which may well be the reason why.
Gonzalez, who is in his eighth NFL season after being picked by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round of the 2017 draft, has been open about his OCD struggles since his college days.
Washington’s Zane Gonzalez repeatedly played with his hair before his game-winning kick
‘It makes you a perfectionist and more detail oriented,’ he said about how the disorder affects him in a 2017 interview with ESPN. ‘Off the field, it’s a pain in the butt.’
In the same article, Philip Pierce – a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in OCD – explained how the disorder makes people ‘continuously battle their own thought process.’
‘They get thoughts which trigger anxiety and then they try to get rid of the anxiety, usually by physical action,’ Pierce said.
‘The classic example is that they get a thought that their hands are contaminated and they wash their hands, which offers some temporary relief.’
Regardless of the reason behind it, Gonzalez got his preparation for the kick just about right after sending it in off the post.
Washington’s 19-year wait for a postseason win, and all the troubles the team had faced since that 2006 victory, also on the road against the Buccaneers, came down to a matter of inches.
And the kick hitting the upright on the way through the goal posts counts all the same and many NFL fans thought it was the perfect ending to the thrilling contest.
Gonzalez suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) which may well be the reason
‘Script writers loving the doink this year,’ one NFL fan said.
‘Sometimes it better to be lucky than good! Wow!’ another person stated.
‘The Washington Post!!!’ a third user said, making a reference to the daily newspaper in the nation’s capital to make a pun.
‘One yard back and it’s a miss, crazy game,’ another said about the jarring end.
While one simply put: ‘Doinkin their way to the divisional!’
