15 Unusual Superstitions of Professional Athletes
Professional athletes live in a world where milliseconds and inches can mean the difference between glory and heartbreak. With so much pressure and uncertainty, it’s no wonder many turn to rituals and superstitions that give them a sense of control over the uncontrollable.
While some fans knock on wood or wear lucky jerseys, professional athletes take things to an entirely different level. Their superstitions range from mildly quirky to downright bizarre, but when you’re performing at the highest level of competition, whatever works becomes sacred.
Here is a list of 15 unusual superstitions that professional athletes swear by, proving that even the world’s greatest competitors aren’t above a little magical thinking.
Wade Boggs’ Daily Poultry Obsession
Hall of Fame third baseman Wade Boggs earned the nickname ‘Chicken Man’ for good reason—he ate chicken before every single game during his 18-year career. Boggs didn’t just grab any chicken either; he had over 40 different recipes courtesy of his wife, from fried chicken to Italian chicken to beer-can chicken.
The ritual started in 1983 when he noticed a correlation between eating chicken and getting multiple hits, and he stuck with it religiously until retirement.
Jason Terry’s Opponent Underwear Collection
NBA player Jason Terry took psychological warfare to the bedroom with his strangest ritual: wearing the opposing team’s shorts to bed the night before each game. Terry collected authentic game shorts from all 30 NBA teams specifically for this purpose, believing it gave him a mental edge over his opponents.
He paired this with eating chicken before every game and wearing five pairs of socks during play.
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Michael Jordan’s Lucky College Shorts
The greatest basketball player of all time never forgot his roots at the University of North Carolina. Jordan wore his practice shorts from UNC underneath his Chicago Bulls uniform in every single NBA game throughout his legendary career.
He had won a national championship with those shorts in 1982 and believed they brought him continued success, which led him to wear longer shorts to hide his college gear underneath.
Lyoto Machida’s Morning Medicine Routine
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida practiced perhaps the most extreme daily ritual in all of sports: drinking his own urine every morning. The Brazilian fighter learned this practice from his father, also a karate master, and believed urine was a natural medicine that cleansed his body.
Machida claimed this disgusting-sounding routine helped him maintain perfect health throughout his undefeated professional mixed martial arts career.
Serena Williams’ Tournament Sock Strategy
Tennis superstar Serena Williams had a smelly secret to her success—she wore the same exact pair of socks throughout entire tournaments without washing them between matches. Williams also had to tie her shoelaces in a specific way, bounce the tennis piece five times before her first serve and twice before her second, and bring her shower sandals to the court.
She even chalked up major losses to not following her routine correctly.
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Turk Wendell’s Comprehensive Madness
Former MLB relief pitcher Turk Wendell was a walking collection of superstitions that made other players look normal. He would leap over the baselines when walking to the mound, chew exactly four pieces of dark licorice while pitching, and brush his teeth between every single inning.
Wendell also wore a necklace made from the actual teeth of wild animals he had hunted and killed, making him perhaps the most comprehensively superstitious athlete in history.
Kevin Rhomberg’s Touch-Back Policy
Former Cleveland Indians outfielder Kevin Rhomberg had an unusual compulsion that drove teammates crazy—if anyone touched him, he absolutely had to touch them back. This wasn’t just a quirky habit; Rhomberg genuinely couldn’t function until he had returned the touch.
He also refused to make any right turns on the diamond because baseball players only turn left when running bases, believing right turns would disrupt the natural order.
Glenn Hall’s Pre-Game Prayer Circles
Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Glenn Hall had a pre-game ritual that involved skating in circles around his net while praying to what he called the ‘Hockey Gods.’ Hall would also step over the lines on the ice and never swept snow into his own net, believing nothing should be allowed into his goal area.
During breaks in play, teammates often caught him talking to the goalpost pipes.
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Caron Butler’s Mountain Dew Dependency
NBA player Caron Butler had an extreme caffeine addiction that went far beyond normal pre-game energy drinks. Butler would consume an entire two-liter container of Mountain Dew before games—half before tipoff and the remainder at halftime.
The habit was so entrenched that when Kobe Bryant forced him to quit during his time with the Lakers, Butler immediately went back to his old ways when he joined the Washington Wizards the following season.
Björn Borg’s Wimbledon Beard Ritual
Swedish tennis legend Björn Borg had specific superstitions that only applied to Wimbledon, the tournament where he found his greatest success. Borg would grow a ‘lucky beard’ specifically for the tournament and wear the same Fila shirt throughout the competition, refusing to shave until he was eliminated or won the title.
This ritual helped him capture five straight Wimbledon championships from 1976 to 1980.
Nomar Garciaparra’s Obsessive Glove Adjustments
Former Boston Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra had the most time-consuming batting routine in baseball history. Before every single pitch, Garciaparra would step out of the batter’s box and perform an elaborate ritual of adjusting his batting gloves, pulling at different parts of his uniform, and stomping his cleats to knock dirt off them.
The routine was so lengthy and repetitive that it became frustrating for pitchers, catchers, and television viewers alike.
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Les Miles’ Grass-Eating Philosophy
Former LSU football coach Les Miles took his connection to the field quite literally by eating chunks of grass during games. Miles would rip out pieces of turf and chew on them, claiming he could gauge field conditions through taste and texture.
After being caught on camera multiple times, Miles explained his philosophy as becoming ‘one with the field,’ though most people just thought he looked ridiculous.
Richie Ashburn’s Bedtime Companions
Hall of Fame outfielder Richie Ashburn took caring for his equipment to an intimate level by sleeping with his favorite piece of equipment. When Ashburn was on a hot streak at the plate, he would literally take his piece to bed with him at night, cuddling with it like a teddy bear.
The six-time All-Star believed this close contact would help maintain his connection with his trusted companion.
John Henderson’s Face-Slapping Ritual
Former NFL defensive tackle John Henderson had perhaps the most masochistic pre-game routine in professional sports—having a trainer slap him in the face as hard as possible before each game. Henderson needed this violent wake-up call to get properly amped up for kickoff, and the ritual became so famous that teammates and fans would anticipate the brutal face-slapping session before every game.
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Patrick Roy’s Goalpost Conversations
NHL Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy took the lonely position of goalie to its logical extreme by having full conversations with his goalpost during games. Roy would talk to the pipes during breaks in play, thanking them for deflecting shots and asking for their continued cooperation.
He also had to step over all the ice lines and refused to allow anyone to sweep snow into his net area.
The Method Behind the Madness
These bizarre rituals might seem completely irrational, but they serve an important psychological purpose for elite athletes who operate under tremendous pressure. Superstitions provide a sense of control in situations where so much is actually beyond their influence, creating mental comfort zones that allow performers to focus on executing their skills.
Whether it’s eating poultry, wearing dirty socks, or talking to inanimate objects, these routines become part of what separates champions from everyone else who couldn’t handle the mental pressure of professional competition.
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