Former NFL Running Back Tiki Barber On What Game Day Is Like for the Players

What does an NFL player do on Game Day -- before and after the game?: originally appeared on Quora: The best answer to any question. Ask a question, get a great answer. Learn from experts and get insider knowledge. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

Answer by Tiki Barber, Former New York Giants Running Back

Most NFL Players have a similar routine up until they get to the stadium. They wake up and have a pre-game meal. If its a late game, they will have a meeting to go over game plan, maybe watch some film of the opponent just to remind themselves everything they studied that week as a last minute refresher.

Once you get to the stadium, it really depends on an individuals personalities. Some guys will sit in the locker room and rock out to whatever music they listen too. Other guys will go out onto the field, run around and get a feel for the environment and motivate themselves by being in the arena they are about to play in.

I would go into our our training or equipment room (they are separate rooms) and grab a book and read. Newspapers, history books (Founding Brothers come to mind) -- always something unrelated to football. I trained hard during the week, and Game Day was the time for trusting myself and what I had done all week. This worked for me because I was a cerebral player -- and being overhyped would not have given me a competitive advantage or otherwise improved my performance. Coming in with a well-trained mind and body -- and a clear head -- this is what I optimized for on Game Day.

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