Washington Commanders kicker Zane Gonzalez went viral Sunday night after repeatedly playing with his hair before proving to be the hero in their dramatic playoff victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Gonzalez scored the game-winning field goal as the Commanders cruised to a 23-20 wild card victory over the Bucs right at the end, marking their first playoff victory in nearly two decades.
However, before delivering his decisive kick, several fans were taken aback by how much the 29-year-old touched his hair before putting on his helmet and lining up to receive it.
In the viral clip, González avoids putting on his helmet several times to run his fingers through his hair, causing confusion on social media.
However, what most don't know is that he suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, better known as OCD, which may well be the reason.
Gonzalez, who is in his eighth NFL season after being selected by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round of the 2017 draft, has been open about his OCD issues 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 of how the disorder affects him in a 2017 interview with ESPN. “Off the field it's a headache.”
In the same article, Philip Pierce, a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in OCD, explained how the disorder causes people to “continuously fight their own thought process.”
“They have anxiety-triggering thoughts and then try to get rid of the anxiety, usually through physical actions,” Pierce said.
“The classic example is that they think their hands are contaminated and they wash their hands, which offers them temporary relief.”
Regardless of the reason behind this, González prepared for the kick right after sending it wide of the post.
Washington's 19-year wait to win the postseason, and all the problems the team had faced since that 2006 victory, also on the road against the Buccaneers, were reduced to a matter of inches.
And the kick that hits the post on the way through the uprights counts anyway and many NFL fans thought it was the perfect ending to the exciting contest.
González suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which may well be the reason
“The writers are loving the doink this year,” said one NFL fan.
'Sometimes it's better to be lucky than to be good! Wow!' stated another person.
'The Washington Post!!!' said a third user, referring to the newspaper in the country's capital to make a play on words.
“One meter back and it's a crazy, failed match,” said another of the jarring ending.
While one simply said: 'Making their way to the division!'