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The internet can be a pretty cruel place. In the world of professional sports, where athletes are put out for public consumption, the spotlight can be especially harsh.
Washington Commanders kicker Zane Gonzalez found out as much during his team’s 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card Round on January 12 — a game in which Gonzalez wound up being the hero after he kicked a game-winning, 37-yard field goal as time expired to give the Commanders their first playoff win since 2005.
Gonzalez’s pre-kick rituals quickly went viral as social media users shared videos of him taking his shoe off and adjusting his sock over and over and brushing his hair multiple times before placing his helmet on.
One thing social media didn’t know is that Gonzalez was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Order as a child, so his nervous tics have been part of a mental health issue he’s dealt with his whole life.
“If anything, it makes my wife and family more upset than it does with me,” Gonzalez told The Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala on January 14. “I’m used to it. … Everybody that’s known or seen me kick has seen me do it millions of times. Being on such a big stage on Sunday night, a game-winner, it draws a little bit more attention, I’ve learned. It’s who I am, and it’s what I go through, and I, above everybody else, realize how crazy it looks doing it. I’m aware. But at the same time, you can’t help it.”
That Gonzalez’s kick upped the drama only added to the attention he received. It bounced off the right upright before it dropped over the crossbar. He is also the seventh kicker the Commanders have signed this season and didn’t join the team until being signed to the practice squad on November 8.
Record-Setting College Career in Pac-12 Conference
Gonzalez left Arizona State as one of the greatest college kickers of all time. He was a 3-time All-Pac-12 pick, won the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s top kicker and was a unanimous All-American in 2016. He also set NCAA records for most field goals by a freshman, most career points by a kicker and most career field goals before setting the Senior Bowl record with 3 field goals.
Like a lot of kickers, Gonzalez has had a journeyman NFL career. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round (No. 227 overall) of the 2017 NFL draft and has also spent time with Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers.
Before 2024, Gonzalez hadn’t kicked in a regular season game since 2021 with the Panthers but was 5-of-7 on field goals on 19-for-19 on PATs for the Commanders. Against the Buccaneers he played the best football of his career, going 3-of-3 on field goals and 2-of-2, including a 52-yard field goal in the first half and the game winner.
Examining the Clinical Definition of OCD
According to the UK’s National Health Service, the clinical definition of OCD “is a mental health condition where a person has obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours. OCD can affect men, women and children. People can start having symptoms from as early as 6 years old, but it often begins around puberty and early adulthood.”
According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 100 adults and 1 in 200 children are affected by OCD.
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