Zane Gonzalez (Photo via NBC)
Washington Commanders kicker Zane Gonzalez pulled off some heroics on Sunday night as his attempt at splitting the sticks sent the NFC outfit to the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs.
The Commanders came out on top of an exciting Wild Card game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, beating them 23-20 through Gonzalez’ late field goal.
Gonzalez, 29, stirred some curiosity after cameras caught him fidgeting with his socks while preparing for the kick and playing with his hair while running onto the field.
It would have been easy to chalk that up to nervousness – after all, he was about to attempt one of the biggest kicks of his career – but it’s since been revealed that the player has been living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) since he was a child.
The mental health disorder is said to trigger “intrusive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) that can cause significant distress and interfere with daily life.”
Zane Gonzalez Is Open About His OCD
Zane Gonzales has been open about his struggles with OCD. A seventh-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2017, he discussed it with the Charlotte Observer in 2021.
“It affected me a lot more as a young kid. … It’s just little thoughts, little funny habits that I do,” he said.
He noted that he’s learned to live with the disorder, but it’s left him with some habits.
“I’ve done a lot of research on it,” he added. “Specifically, sometimes I rinse my hands before kicks. … And I was kind of curious about that. But that’s one of the most common things that people with OCD do. It instantly makes you just feel relieved. I don’t know why, if it’s just a placebo effect. It’s not something I love having. But it just is what it is, and I’ve learned to deal with it.”
It was rumored that Gonzalez’s openness with OCD may have caused him to slip down in the NFL Draft. But he feels like it has actually helped his career.
“It makes you a perfectionist and more detail-oriented,” he said. “Off the field, it’s a pain in the butt.”
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