Jan 28, 2014; Newark, NJ, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) is interviewed during Media Day for Super Bowl XLIII at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Known as a student of the game, Russell Wilson never passes up the opportunity to improve his mind and body for the sake of the Seahawks.
During the Super Bowl, with a 22-0 lead at the half, that involved taking a shower during the long halftime show as a way to regroup for the second half of action.
“I took my whole uniform off and took a shower,” Wilson told the Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday. “Halftime is about 45 minutes so I took a shower, re-taped everything, got my arm stretched again and then we got into a whole other stretch again.”
Even though the Seahawks didn’t really need Wilson to play any better, he did after the half.
In the first and second quarters, Wilson went 9 of 14 for 94 yards and no touchdowns. In the second half (post-shower, if you will), Wilson completed 9 of his 11 passes for 114 yards and a pair of TDs.
The Seahawks, of course, went on to win the game 43-8 to capture the franchise’s first Super Bowl title.
It wasn’t the first time Wilson took a shower at halftime.
On Sept. 15, the Seahawks hosted the San Francisco 49ers in a big-time rivalry game. At the end of the first half, neither team had scored and Wilson was a miserable 0-for-6 with an interception.
Then lightening struck (literally), which caused an hour-delay before the second half could be resumed. Wilson decided to hop into the shower and the game completely changed for the better.
The Seahawks outscored the Niners 29-3 in the second half and Wilson completed 8 of his 13 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown in the half.
“Once that lightning strike hit and we were in the locker room for probably about an hour,” Wilson said via the Seattle P-I. “We just kinda revamped. I personally took a shower — just kinda restart my mind, restart everything to really get out there and feel, ‘OK, it’s a new game.’”
With his success taking a shower during halftime, this probably won’t be the last we hear of Wilson’s midpoint routine.