The answer was that it was part of his OCD diagnosis, and he’s brought awareness to the disorder simply through that moment. He spoke about it in the week leading up to the Commanders’ next playoff game against the Detroit Lions, where we may see Gonzalez prepare in the same way before taking the field.

Washington Commanders place kicker Zane Gonzalez, right, kicks the game winning field goal from the hold of Tress Way during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa, Fla., Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara, File)

The Commanders kicker’s routine has nothing to do with style — it’s obsessive compulsion, which he has dealt with since he was a kid.

"I, above everybody else, realize how crazy it looks doing it. I’m aware. But at the same time, you can’t help it,” Gonzalez said

When Zane Gonzalez kicked the game-winner for Washington last week, the NFL world saw his disorder, which he considers a "superpower."

Washington Commanders kicker Zane Gonzalez was just another replacement before sending his team to the divisional round of the playoffs with his game-winning heroics against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Zane Gonzalez made the biggest kick of his career on Sunday night, doinking in the boot that gave Washington its first playoff victory since the 2005 season, but not before he went through his routine.

National TV cameras picked up Gonzalez's pre-kick routine, which led to a mix of responses, and a response from his wife.