The Washington Commanders are in the Divisional Round thanks in part to their kicker Zane Gonzalez. Before his crucial kick, a camera caught obsessive-compulsive disorders that were misinterpreted by the spectators.

The Wild Card Round duel between the Washington Commanders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers was extremely close.

Thanks to an impeccable performance by quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders were in a position to win the game with a possible field goal.

A job for the kicker. Zane Gonzalez got ready and seemed extremely nervous to the untrained eye. Many spectators thought he was repeatedly arranging his hair and couldn’t get his helmet on, seemed a bit disoriented.

But the opposite was the case. Gonzalez went through a routine. Against his rare disease, with which he openly deals.

Gonzalez converted the field goal. Incredibly close with a “doink” as the ball flew from the post into the right area. The Commanders beat the Bucs 23-20 and will now play the Detroit Lions.

From the kicker’s point of view, the job was done, but some fans made a meme out of Gonzalez because he seemed hyper-nervous.

In reality, however, he suffers from OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

A rare disease that can be inherited. Only 1.3 percent of all children and adolescents suffer from it.

Commanders kicker Zane Gonzalez is open about his struggle with OCD—which was on display in Sunday’s game.

Many joke about his ticks, but he harnesses them in his routine.

After focusing, Gonzalez kicked Washington to its first playoff win in 20 years.pic.twitter.com/rQvBAtwFhH

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) January 13, 2025

NFL kicker suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder

By doing this routine, Gonzalez tried to get his tic under control by arranging his hair.

It’s a ritual that helps him find his focus. So he wasn’t nervous. He stayed calm. He dealt with his illness and did his job.

He was open about his OCD in college football at Arizona State: “I do a lot of little things to get a grip on it. I’ve learned to hide some tics or make them seem normal. Hardly anyone knows about it. It makes me a perfectionist, something you have to be as a kicker. I’ve accepted it and I’m making the best of it,” Gonzalez said about his “OCD.”

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