Most athletes have some sort of ritual they like to perform before a game. Whether it’s listening to a specific playlist, wearing lucky clothes, or eating a familiar meal, they can get stranger and stranger. But for NFL MVP Josh Allen, his pregame ritual is unlike anything we’ve ever heard of. Beware of gross details ahead.
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Allen likes to throw up before every game he plays. That’s right, he regurgitates everything in his stomach to make sure he takes the field on an empty stomach. It’s a disgusting ritual that was revealed recently, and it has obviously been working for him ever since he started it.
One of Allen’s wide receivers on the Buffalo Bills, Khalil Shakir, recently talked about this unusual ritual and even shared that he was shocked when he first saw it.
“I remember, I was shocked when I first seen it, too. And then he goes out there and balls out,” Shakir said on the St. Brown Podcast.
How could anyone not be shocked to see the quarterback in the bathroom throwing up right before the game? The wideout also said that rookies have had the same reaction so far.
“New guys who ain’t seen it yet, like, obviously just see him on the field doing his thing, and then they go to use the bathroom and he’s throwing up. But I think it’s just something he’s always done,” Shakir shared.
It is indeed a funny sight to imagine. But what’s even more surprising is that it’s far from a long-standing habit. In fact, Allen didn’t implement this pregame ritual until 2019.
Recently, the MVP joined Yahoo Sports and opened up about the whole thing.
“I always had the urge to do it, and I never committed to actually throwing up. Until I was sick one day. It was against the Detroit Lions, my second year, preseason, in Detroit. I was like, you know what, I’m just going to go throw up. I wasn’t feeling great, I did it, and I had this weird sensation where I’d cramp up when I was throwing in my thumb. After I threw up, I didn’t have that anymore,” Allen shared.
How crazy is that? Is it safe to say that throwing up may have turned Allen from a below-average quarterback to one of the best in the league? Ever since he implemented the ritual, he has a career record of 75-28, with over 25,000 yards thrown and 192 touchdown passes.
But what ultimately urges Allen to throw up before every gameday?
“I don’t know what it is. It’s not like I’m nervous. I don’t know, I think it’s, honestly, primal. It goes back to, like, a hungry warrior fights harder,” Allen said.
Wise words coming from the Bills quarterback. With only four games played this season, Allen still has 13 more pregame puking sessions ahead. Not to mention, he’ll definitely have to do it more when they make the playoffs.
All in all, it was a wild peek behind the curtain that we got of Allen’s pregame routine. It was super interesting to hear one of his teammates’ perspectives on it. But whatever works, athletes are going to continue to do. If throwing up helps keep Allen from cramping, then just keep letting him do his thing.
