Commanders’ Zane Gonzalez doesn’t shy away from OCD diagnosis

Washington Commanders’ kicker Zane Gonzalez has been public about his OCD diagnosis, and let the world see his pre-kick tick on Sunday.

Washington Commanders place kicker Zane Gonzalez has been the team’s saving grace at the end of the season, especially in last night’s playoff win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s the fourth kicker the team used this season, going through two kickers while Austin Siebert was injured before finally landing on Gonzalez.

Gonzalez has played for three other NFL teams over his career (Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers) with varying degrees of success. But one constant that remains with Gonzalez is his public battle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

According to the Mayo Clinic:

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) features a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears known as obsessions. These obsessions lead you to do repetitive behaviors, also called compulsions. These obsessions and compulsions get in the way of daily activities and cause a lot of distress.

Gonzalez has been public about his battle with OCD since his days in college at Arizona State University. There was even speculation that going public with the diagnosis caused him to fall in the draft. But Gonzalez doesn’t care, his goal is to help others with the disease, and he gave the world a full view of one of his ticks during the game last night:

OCD comes in many forms ranging from mild to severe, and many forms are manageable with the right treatment.

Right now, the Commanders are grateful that Gonzalez has a handle on his OCD and can direct that anxiety into resuming his college nickname: Legatron. They’ll need him in top form to continue their run in the playoffs.

The Commanders face the Detroit Lions this Saturday at 8 pm EDT in the divisional round of the playoffs.

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