Watch: Portis says pregame Hennessy shots helped with football pain

Before hitting the field on game day, it was tradition for former Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis to take a single shot of Hennessy.

As Portis explained during a Monday appearance on FS1's "Fair Game with Kristine Leahy," the shots weren't only for getting amped up before kickoff; they also helped him cope with in-season pain.

"I don't know a football player that's not in pain during the season, especially if you're a running back where I'm getting 25 and 30 carries a game," he told Leahy. "So for me, it was kind of like, 'this shot and I'm going out to play.' Like this is going to take the pain away or the fear or whatever it was like, now it's time.

"So after I took that shot, it was like, 'OK, now it's time to go do this,' instead of going to lay down and take a Toradol shot."

Portis, who played for Washington from 2004-2010, also likened the ritual to enjoying a "pregame" drink before going out with friends.

"It was a turn-up," he said. "For me, it wasn't like I was getting drunk. We took one shot."

Portis' then-teammates Santana Moss and Sean Taylor also took part in the pregame routine. In a 2017 interview with NBC4 Sports, Portis said it didn't become an issue until Jim Zorn was hired as head coach in 2008.