Superstition, Mediation, and Drake: Penn State football stars explain their pregame routines

By Morgan Chapman, Site Manager, Basic Blues Nation

For each player, preparation is key for every football game – practicing and watching as much film as possible Monday through Thursday in order to sleep well Friday night. But once game day arrives, the butterflies begin to set in. Each of the Penn State football players has a different way of getting through the hours before kickoff, especially for big time matchups in Beaver Stadium, like Saturday night against West Virginia. Recently, we sat down with a handful of your favorite Nittany Lions ahead of the highly anticipated 2023 season to discuss, among many things, their pregame routines.

Anticipation builds for the 2023 season

From the Blue-White game this past April until now, the Penn State football team has been preparing for this moment. The players and coaches have been focusing on the little things they can do to fine-tune their craft. Over the past several weeks, the team has gone through fall camp. During this time, James Franklin challenged position groups, like the wide receivers to “separate from the pack.” He has also spoke highly of the quarterback room and the process each player has made. Franklin was adamant that true freshman Jaxon Smolik was the “surprise of fall camp.”

Overall, the team has been counting down the days for the Week 1 matchup against West Virginia. But, what pregame rituals do Penn State football players use to calm their nerves and dial in before kickoff?

Music, familiarity help Drew Allar lock in

Drew Allar is expected to trout out as QB1 on Saturday night, but there's a lot of time between the morning of game day and when the players take the field.

When speaking about his pregame routine Allar told us, "Music, I'm a big music guy. I listen to pretty much just rap on gamedays. My favorite artist is Drake by far. I've grown up listening to Drake for pretty much my whole life. He's the rapper that got me into rap in the first place."

The former five-star prospect then walked us through how he dials in his craft during pregame warmups. “As far as drills go, I have specific warmup drills that I do with my quarterback trainer back home that I'm able to do during the warmups,” Allar said. That really gets me ready to go, just fine-tuning some things and getting ready for the game.”

Developing a routine is key for these players. Replicating the drills that his trainer has developed for him before a game helps Allar to know that his body and mind is ready for one of the biggest stages in college football.

Olu Fashanu: a superstitious future NFL star?

The star offensive tackle for the Penn State football team, Olu Fashanu was a projected first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. But instead, he decided to come back to Penn State to help the team achieve its goals. Fashanu is a big man around campus, but he puts his pants – or socks – on one leg at a time like the rest of us. The Nittany Lion team captain explained how his superstitious routine got started last year.

“...This is kind of corny, but I put on my left sock before my right sock and I put my left knee brace on before my right knee brace,” Fashanu said. “There’s no really specific reason behind that but it’s just something I caught onto around the third or fourth game during the season. So, I just decided to keep doing it.”

While he said that he doesn’t have a “specific reason” why, to me, it sounds like something that Fashanu will do for the rest of his career, because clearly it has worked for his play on the field.

Penn State defensive stars keep things simple

On the defensive side of the ball, the rituals are a little different. Just ask linebacker Abdul Carter, who has a very simple process when he's ready to play a football game. 

"I just get ready for the game,” Carter explained. “I stretch, you know put my pads on, and go out there and play."

Abdul Carter doesn't need music or a specific routine, but if last year is any indication, he's able to flip a switch once he puts his pads on. Carter was only the second freshman to ever reach the 10 tackle-for-loss and 6 sack milestone in Happy Valley, joining current Penn State defensive line coach Deion Barnes. Through one season in the Blue and White, Carter has as many sacks as Micah Parsons had in his entire collegiate career.

For standout defensive lineman Chop Robinson, peace is the name of the game. It's ironic that a person who causes so much disruption for an opposing offense needs to be at peace before a game. He also finds motivation from a key family member before heading out to the field. 

Robinson stated, "My pregame ritual is just to meditate, and just I would say talk to my dad before the game. Just hear what he has to say because he always has something motivational to say."

Although it's a little different, it still works. Robinson was one of the most effective defensive ends in college football last season, he ended 2022 with 26 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss, and 5.5 sacks. A projected first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, it will be interesting to see if he maintains the same pregame rituals when he moves on to his pro career.

Happy Valley United exclusive events for West Virginia weekend

 

Penn State opens the highly anticipated 2023 football season in Beaver Stadium Saturday night at 7:30. Happy Valley United will be on site providing exclusive gameday experiences, including:

 

• 2023 Kickoff Tailgate, Jeffrey Field, 11 AM – 7 PM
• Features an open bar, buffet style lunch and dinner provided by the 409 Tailgate Club
• Special guests include: Mike Mauti, Mike Hull, Jordan Hill, Micah Parsons, Arnold Ebiketie, Jahan Dotson, Jesse Luketa
• Race to 107
• With the support of Adam Breneman, Happy Valley United is looking to boost the football-specific NIL fund with the race to raise $107,000 before WVU kickoff

 

Be sure to check out these and all the exclusive experiences presented by Happy Valley United for the 2023 season!

 

Exclusive player insights, presented by Happy Valley United

 

If you enjoyed this sit-down interview with Drew Allar, stay tuned for more exclusive player insights throughout the 2023 season. We will be providing exclusive access to player interviews and other content throughout the fall as part of the brand-new partnership between Happy Valley United, Up on Game, and Basic Blues Nation.

 

This initiative aims to promote NIL opportunities for the over 800 Penn State student-athletes represented by Happy Valley United and provide you with exclusive behind-the-scenes insights from your favorite Nittany Lions.

 

To donate, please visit Happy Valley United’s website. We Are!