Secrets of the Super Bowl Quarterbacks

SUPER BOWL XXVI

Our hotel was 60 miles from the Metrodome, out in the middle of nowhere. I can't remember where it was. The night before the game, I couldn't sleep. All I was thinking was, "This is the biggest game of my life." I set my alarm. What if it doesn't go off? What if there's a power outage? What if they play without me? Crazy thoughts. Every hour from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., I thought, "What the hell? I should get up and wander around." There was a brunch for players and their family that started at 6 a.m. Around 5 a.m., I figured I'd go down, grab a coffee. So I wander down, and what do I see? About seven or eight players, plus some coaches, all having the same experience. So we huddled up, laughed about it, talked about the game a bit, had some coffee. Hey, this is the big game! I stayed awake all morning. Hours later, a few of us that were restless -- I specifically remember Eric Williams and Chip Lohmiller -- decided to take a cab to the stadium instead of taking the bus. We got to the Metrodome seven hours before kickoff, and I lay down in the training room, and I took a three-hour power nap. I got the best sleep. I was relaxed. I knew I wasn't going to miss the game now.
-- As told to Seth Wickersham of ESPN The Magazine

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