Gameday superstitions & rituals with Jim Leonhard
Jim Leonhard was signed as a free agent this offseason to provide depth in the Ravens' secondary, but due to injuries, he's been thrust into a starting role and into the spotlight.
When Dawan Landry went down in the second game of the season with a spinal concussion, Leonhard stepped in, and he's performed admirably.
He's complimented his work in the secondary by playing solid special teams, and due to Yamon Figurs' knee injury, he will likely return punts today against the Raiders.
I sat down with Leonhard to talk about his routine on gamedays and asked him if he has any superstitions leading up to kickoff.
What's your ritual in the morning on game days? Do you have a pregame meal that you stick with every week?
"Kind of, they have pretty much the same thing wherever we are, so I just try to eat as much as I can. It's kind of hard sometimes to wake up and eat right away, but you know you're not going to eat for a long time after that, so it's really just trying to eat as much as you can so you have that energy for the game."
What about once you get to the stadium, are you consistent with your pregame schedule as far as stretching and getting suited up?
"It's kind of just however I feel. It kind of depends on time -- if you've got to get treatment, sometimes it throws it off a bit. I don't necessarily have anything too crazy superstitious-wise or time-wise."
What are the emotions that are running through you right before a game? Are you really pumped up, or are you able to keep yourself calm?
"I'm always really excited. I'm always kind of trying to relax myself. It always takes me until that first hit -- you've got to get that first hit in you to relax yourself a little or else you're a bit jumpy. So most of the time I try to get it out of the way in pregame; I try to hit somebody.
"But other than that, pregame you're just trying to relax because you know you're going crazy inside."
Is there someone that you get that hit on before every game? Someone you consistently pick on?
"No, it doesn't matter. I try not to hit anyone too good, like Ed [Reed] or Samari [Rolle] or C.Mac [Chris McAlister] or anything. You try not to hit those guys. But you definitely try to get a nice shot to the head to make sure you get yourself going a little bit."
How much does the crowd pump you up when you play, and do you prefer playing at home or on the road?
"I almost would prefer playing on the road because I love when everyone's against you and yelling at you. I really enjoy that for some reason. I like it because you have to get closer as a team. You have to get closer because you're the only ones there for each other, and I really enjoy that."
Check out the gameday superstitions and rituals of:
Mark Clayton
Ray Rice
Adam Terry
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