Marcus's Pre-Game Routine
The same sequence every game — built so a big, willing kid steps between the lines with his get-off firing, his pads low, and his mind on his craft, instead of trying to win on size alone.
Pads, helmet, cleats, mouthguard, water packed. A real dinner, in bed early. One sentence about tomorrow, then let it go.
A real breakfast that sits right — line play is physical and he needs the fuel — hydration starting early. Keep the house calm.
- Team warmup as the coaches run it.
- His personal focus: a few stance-and-get-offs, some low-pad drives, and hand punches.
- End on a rep that felt low, fast, and violent.
He doesn't need to be gassed before kickoff — he needs his first step firing and his pads low.
Pick one thing to carry in — this season it's usually stay low or hands inside. One cue is a reminder; five is a lecture that gets in his head.
A breath, water, a reminder of the one focus. When he's tired, the pad level goes first — so the between-series thought is: stay low, finish.
After a rep where he gets beat, the cue is short: "Next snap — low, hands inside." His size and toughness handle the battle — the routine's job is to keep one loss on the line from turning into three.
Why the sameness matters: Marcus can revert to trying to win on size — standing up, grabbing — when a game gets physical or frustrating. A routine he's run a hundred times keeps him low and technical, so a big game is just more of his craft. That's the edge.
