“Don’t Step On The Lines”: Cris Carter Opens Up About NFL Players’ ‘Superstitions’

Whether it’s a quarterback wearing the same underwear for a winning streak or a lineman tapping the goalpost before every snap, superstitions are very much part of the football culture. And avoiding the lines is one of football’s most enduring superstitions.

Some players will contort, hop, or sidestep during warmups to make sure their cleats never touch that paint. Others go a step further, avoiding all painted areas, including the numbers and logos.

According to Chris Carter, superstitions are an important part of athletes’ routines, and if they were banned, “they wouldn’t know what to do.”

Per the former WR, some of the more bizarre superstitions include wearing the same “socks, and cleats” for games. Others include: “Don’t step on the lines, they’ve got all kinds of superstitions.”

So, were there any superstitions Carter himself held? Apparently not.

Of course, not every player buys into the “don’t step on the lines” mantra. Carter admits he wasn’t overly superstitious himself, but still had his own quirks and pre-game rituals. Especially when it came to food.

“I would tell the equipment guy, ‘make sure you pack two touchdowns.’ Other than that, I don’t care. I’m just not a superstitious guy…Love pancakes before a game. For a night game, harder to get good pancakes so I would eat a steak, some pasta.”

Football is a sport built on discipline, toughness, and precision. But it’s also a game full of quirks and tiny traditions that players believe tip the balance between winning and losing. And in a league where careers hinge on a single play, who wouldn’t cling to whatever luck they can get?