* Do you have any superstitions from last year's playoffs that you continue to do this year?*
Yeah, you always have little idiosyncrasies that everybody does and everybody is different. One of the things that we do as an offensive line is we always order lunch, order food, today, on Thursdays. That is something that we have kept up. It is kind of like baseball players have their own little superstitions like if you are in a slump you do something to get you out of it. Everybody has their own and their own game day rituals so it is not just during the week, but during the game. Those are all little things that mentally you try to just continue the same mindset.
What are your game day rituals?
I don't really have anything outlandish. I just have my same routine. Come in, get taped as soon as possible, and then I always go out on the field and warm up. If it is an away field just always try to make sure you see where the 25 second clock is and to make sure you always have in mind where that is because every stadium is different, just things like that, just routines.
Who has the weirdest ritual in the locker room?
The weirdest one in the locker room? Probably both our guards. Richie (Seubert), we call him Ralph on game day because he throws up before every game, so that is how we know it is time to go out when he starts dry heaving. He doesn't produce anything so he is just kind of the fake Ralph guy and then Chris Snee, he is the guy that throws up right before we go on the field. You always stay clear of Chris before the first drive because he could throw up at any time.
Is he productive when he throws up?
Oh yeah, he is very productive when it comes to that aspect.
Do you get the same menu every Thursday?
Every Thursday? No, we change it up. We switch it up. If there are any sponsors out there that want to hook the o-line up… I think today we are doing hot dogs. You know, hot dogs, sauerkraut, chili dogs. Sometimes it is burgers, sometimes it is tacos, burritos, whatever, and you can't go wrong with the golden arches.
So you aren't health nuts?
Not on Thursdays. Then again if you have seen us in our white jerseys, you knew that already.
Can you feel excited for guys like Derrick Ward and Mathias Kiwanuka who didn't get a chance to play in the playoffs last year?
Yeah, I am sure it was hard and disappointing for those guys to not be able to partake in what we did last season. There were a number of other guys, too, that were injured and didn't have a chance to take part in that, so for them this is special. This is probably the farthest that they have both gone and I know they are happy to be contributing and certainly they both have contributed a lot.
How do you guys react to hearing the talk out of the locker room in Philadelphia this week?
Monday through Saturday, that is for everybody that doesn't play the game. That is for the fans to get into it and for you guys to create good stories and everybody knows, players know, when it comes to Sunday, when you strap it on, nobody has ever won or lost a game because of something that was said during the week. I think that on the field we are probably just as chirpy as they are, but our saying all season long has been, 'modest in speech, superior in action,' and I think that we have done a good job of sticking to that and we look forward to doing that on Sunday.
