Bryce Young opens up about his pregame routine, how it prepares him to play
It doesn’t matter where he is, or if the fans hollering at him are clad in crimson or some other color, Alabama quarterback Bryce Young knows his tried-and-true pregame routine will get him focused and in the zone to play.
There is no one particular part of the routine that Young emphasizes or needs to do more than other bits, it’s the mind-numbing consistency of doing the same thing over and over — for years at this point — that helps him zone in. Along with there being some decently sound psychology behind this practice of linking physical activity with a mental state, it clearly works for Young as evidenced by what he does when the games get going.
“Yeah, I’ve definitely been doing the same warmup for a while now, back before I got here,” Young said. “Having that consistency, I think that’s something that helps me a lot and it’s something that I’m comfortable with. And, you know, everything is always changing week-to-week. You’re in different venues, you’re preparing to go against a different defense, whatever it may be, but having that sort of consistency before the game is definitely helpful for me and I don’t think it’s anything specific — as far as not being a ritual guy or anything like that — but having a sense of consistency.”
Young is not alone in this sort of thinking, as Alabama — as do most teams — follows a well planned practice regimen each week.
This, along with his own routine, help Young lock in and play like one of the best quarterbacks in the country each week.
“Having that schedule helps me a lot and it, getting to the stadium, for me, I just have a pretty similar way of going about things. But just naturally, over time, whether I’m at Bryant-Denny or somewhere away, your mind just starts to lock in as you get there,” Young said. “And then get in to that routine, you kind of feel a sense of similarity throughout the week, so that definitely helps me.”