Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr offered an impassioned defense of suspended middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict in London on Wednesday, and coach Jon Gruden told reporters he as "not happy ... at all" with the NFL's decision to sideline Burfict for the remainder of the season.

Carr said Burfict is "one of the most misunderstood people in the NFL" and had become one of his favorite teammates in their short time together.

"I don't think he was trying to hurt that man; the man was going down," Carr said of Burfict's helmet-to-helmet hit on Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle on Sunday, which triggered the suspension a day later. "You see it all the time -- there's flags flying everywhere.

"We see other people choking people out, and they're going to play this Sunday. We see other people hitting people in the helmet, and they're going to play this Sunday. And Vontaze Burfict won't play the rest of the year? I think that's a little excessive, if you ask me. I don't think it's fair, if we really got to know the guy. If the people making the decision really knew the guy that we know, inside our building ... he's a great person, his heart is broken because he's not playing football. The guy just wants to play football. We don't get a lot of time to play this game in our lives."

Carr again referenced the fight between Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey and Cleveland Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr., and New England Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones' helmet-to-helmet hit on Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

"I know the history situation and all that kind of stuff," Carr said of Burfict, "but this one, especially with what went on during the week, if we're going to be fair, we need to be fair with everybody."

Gruden, meanwhile, said he had already spoken to NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan.

"He knows how I feel -- it hurts our team really bad," Gruden said. "And I'm anxious to see what the appeal says. I'm not happy about it. At all. And I don't want to say anything else about it. I'm obviously upset about it."

Burfict was suspended without pay on Monday for "repeated violations of the unnecessary roughness rules" after lowering his head to initiate contact with Doyle on Sunday. Burfict's agent, Lamont Smith, told ESPN's Josina Anderson they are appealing the suspension and the hearing will "most likely be next Tuesday," saying the "12-game suspension is excessive and the play that triggered the suspension was a football play."

The appeal will be heard by either Derrick Brooks or James Thrash.

Burfict was initially assessed a 15-yard penalty on the play but, after a call from the league office, he was ejected from the game.

"There were no mitigating circumstances on this play," Runyan wrote to Burfict, explaining the suspension. "Your contact was unnecessary, flagrant and should have been avoided. For your actions, you were penalized and disqualified from the game."

Burfict, who has led the NFL with 23 personal fouls and 15 flags for unnecessary roughness since entering the league in 2012, had 13 suspensions and fines in seven seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals before joining the Raiders as a free agent this offseason.

Plus, he has been fined $469,118 for on-field violations in his career, the most of any player since 2013, and forfeited approximately $3.7 million in game checks due to suspensions.

"Following each of your previous rule violations, you were warned by me and each of the jointly-appointed appeal officers that future violations would result in escalated accountability measures," Runyan wrote. "However, you have continued to flagrantly abuse rules designated to protect yourself and your opponents from unnecessary risk. "Your extensive history of rules violations is factored into this decision regarding accountability measures."

Burfict did successfully appeal a five-game suspension down to three games in 2017.

Raiders linebacker Tahir Whitehead assumed the role of defensive playcaller by wearing the "green dot" communications helmet with the ejection of Burfict, who was voted one of five team captains.

Whitehead, who wore a hat with Burfict's No. 55 on it when addressing reporters Wednesday, compared Burfict to a "brother" and said his versatility had him ready to move from outside linebacker into the middle of the defense as the Raiders play host to the Chicago Bears Sunday at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"Understanding and knowing how hard he worked, with the perception that was out there about him, how hard he worked to not be that guy, it's really frustrating for me to see the penalty that's been handed down to him," Whitehead said. "Just have to step it up. We all have to chip in, pull it together and make sure that we play for him now. Just play hard, the way he played the game, making sure that we're pulling in the same direction."

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has carried a figurative chip on his shoulder since being the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL draft. He has something else, too: his shoulder pads from the University of Michigan.

"I've worn them for 25 years," he said.

That revelation, first made on the "Quick Slants" podcast on NBC Sports Boston, means Brady was wearing those shoulder pads in his Michigan debut before five of his current teammates were born.

The shoulder pads were first issued to him during his freshman year in 1995, and Brady was well into his third season wearing the "Douglas 25Ls" when cornerback Joejuan Williams, the Patriots' second-round pick out of Vanderbilt this year, was born in December 1997.

The reason for the long-term marriage is simple.

"Once you find something you like, you stick with it," Brady said.

This doesn't surprise former Michigan equipment manager Jon Falk, who grew close to Brady from 1995 to 1999 and remains in contact with him today.

"Douglas was out of Houston, Texas, and if a kid wanted something special on his pads, I'd call down to them and they would custom make them," Falk recalled. "I remember Tom wanted lighter epaulets and caps. He wanted to cover down into the chest area. I knew we had a special pad cut for that type of protection."

Epaulets are the plastic pieces on top of the cap of the shoulder pads. Falk described the "Douglas 25L" as a "light pad, but with good protection." That's always been the balance with shoulder pads for quarterbacks.

Brady said he has experimented with other shoulder pads, but has always come back to what he wore at Michigan, mainly because he has gotten used to the shape and feel.

"It becomes a personal thing and you never want to mess with that. So as long as they're happy, I'm happy," said Falk, who retired as equipment manager in 2013 but has returned to the school as a special assistant to coach Jim Harbaugh. "Quarterbacks always want to get their arms up, so we had to get special caps on their shoulder pads, and special epaulets. They were smaller, so you could raise your arm up and the flexibility was just unbelievable."

Brady's white shoulder pads, which also have his No. 12 on them, wouldn't have lasted this long without constant care. So they basically get reconditioned every year, which means they are sanitized, the padding protection is checked, and the plastic is monitored for any cracks.

In a sense, it's like driving a 1995 vehicle, but with plenty of new parts and accessories.

Rookie quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who was born one year after Brady first started wearing the shoulder pads, said he can relate to Brady's search for the right fit.

"I'm actually in a different shoulder pads now than I was in college. I felt like the ones I wore in college were a little too bulky for me," Stidham said. "As a quarterback, you want to have as much mobility as possible -- whether it's up top with your neck or shoulder, whatever it is. So the ones I have here are a little bit smaller."

Brady, 42, said the models of shoulder pads have changed notably over his playing career. His original pads also represent a link to Michigan -- the alma mater that holds a special place in his heart -- and Falk, who always told players a story that still resonates with Brady.

Falk used to tell players that he had 17 Big Ten championship rings and that his favorite was the next one.

"Tom loved that. So every time I'd walk into the locker room after practice, he'd go, 'Big Johnny, which one's your best ring?' And I'd say, 'Hey, Tom, you know my favorite ring is my next ring. That's what I'm looking for -- my next ring.'

"He picked that up, and every time he wins a Super Bowl, he'll text me back and say, 'Big Johnny, you taught me that. That's the way I live.'"

For the next ring. In the same old shoulder pads.

It has been a good fit for Brady for nearly 25 years.

We asked our NFL Nation reporters to check around the locker rooms of their respective teams regarding superstitions. Plenty are out there; not every player wants to talk about them.

Scan through all 32 NFL teams by division, or click here to jump ahead to your team:

Jump to:
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NO | NYG | NYJ | OAK | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

NFC EAST

Dallas Cowboys

Two O-linemen run a route tree

Offensive linemen really want to be skill players. Hours before each game, Pro Bowl center Travis Frederick and Pro Bowl right guard Zack Martin will play catch on the field as a warm-up to their normal warm-up. But it's not just playing catch.

"It evolved into running around a little bit and then we decided we were going to run some routes, so now it's become a full-on route tree. Not every route but, by the time it's over, we probably each run seven or eight routes," Frederick said. Who's the better quarterback? "The better combination is Zack throwing the ball to me, although it goes back and forth depending on the day." -- Todd Archer

New York Giants

Bennie Fowler shuns the shield for Jerry West

The wide receiver wears NBA socks any time he steps on the field, whether it's practice or a game. Fowler, who was released by the Giants on Tuesday, has at least 20 pairs (hundreds over the years) of these white, slightly-higher-than-ankle socks that bear the NBA logo. He first discovered these socks when he was in high school through Detroit Pistons legend Joe Dumars, who had endless packs at his house. Fowler was best friends with Dumars' son, Jordan. It was love at first sight with the socks Fowler has now worn for each of his 59 career NFL games.

"They're the most comfortable socks," Fowler said. "Anytime you put them on, they feel like brand-new socks. They've changed [over the years] but they're still thick." -- Jordan Raanan

Philadelphia Eagles

Jake Elliott has a slice each of pizza, cheesecake

The Eagles kicker has eaten the same meal -- a slice of pizza and a slice of cheesecake -- the night before each game dating to his freshman year of college at Memphis, after a 56-yard attempt bounced off the crossbar and through the uprights in a win over South Florida. Looking for karmic meaning, he tied it to the meal he had the night before and has made it a ritual.

He's had some close calls over the years, like the night before the Rams game in 2017 when the restaurant was slow delivering the dessert.

"They had cheesecake, but it wasn't coming out, and I was kind of freaking out," he told the Inquirer. "Made sure they got it done." -- Tim McManus

Washington Redskins

Don't forget the whipped cream for Chris Thompson

The third-down back must eat the same breakfast every Sunday before games: waffles, with blueberries and raspberries and whipped cream and then an omelette filed with bacon, peppers, cheese and avocado. The hotels have accommodated him every time -- except for one.

"One time at the hotel they didn't give us whipped cream and they couldn't get me any," Thompson said. "My whole mood was thrown off from there. I couldn't get any. I don't remember how I played, but I remember just being mad that morning." -- John Keim

NFC NORTH

Chicago Bears

Matt Nagy goes silent, types out call sheet

The Bears coach keeps it simple the night before a game. He sits in his hotel room, turns off the television or other outside distractions, and sits on his computer to type out his call sheet for the next day.

"Everybody's a little different in how they handle it," Nagy said. "Some guys will sleep; others will watch a movie; others will go for a walk. And a lot of guys just like to clear their minds. Me, I type out my call sheet. However you do it, just do it, don't change anything." -- Jeff Dickerson

Detroit Lions

Kenny Golladay sticks to pregame catch routine

Golladay doesn't call it a superstition, but the Lions' top receiver does have a pregame routine, going through an intentional catch circuit to get ready -- something he started in the pros.

"Pretty much catching the ball from each angle, you know, high ball, low ball, just out of the framework of your body so that way when that ball comes up on you during the game, it isn't new to you," Golladay said.

He does between eight and 10 reps in each spot to get his hands warmed up and ready. To do this, he enlists the help of former South Carolina quarterback Dylan Thompson -- now Detroit's character coach. This is something Golladay started last season after he felt through what he wanted his pregame routine to be his rookie year. -- Michael Rothstein

Green Bay Packers

Pregame meal means salmon salad for Davante Adams

The Packers' locker room doesn't seem overly superstitious, and Adams said he's been asked this question often. "I almost want to develop one so I have something for you," the Pro Bowl receiver said. But he did start a pregame meal routine that dates to 2014.

"I eat the same thing every game -- a salmon salad with cucumber, shredded cheese and ranch. I did it for the first time before the Patriots game my rookie year, and I stuck with it."

Adams had six catches for 121 yards in that game, the first time he went over 100 yards in his career. -- Rob Demovsky

Minnesota Vikings

Harrison Smith heats up pregame meal with a shot of Tabasco

Before every noon kickoff, Smith eats the same pregame meal, starting with a cup of coffee, half of a plain bagel and a shot ... of Tabasco. The Pro Bowl safety downs a healthy-sized shot of hot sauce and sometimes skips actual sustenance altogether because it can be hard for him to work up an appetite before games.

"It wakes me up," Smith said. "I can't have too much coffee or I'll cramp up easily, but the hot sauce is mandatory." -- Courtney Cronin

NFC SOUTH

Atlanta Falcons

Chocolate milkshakes get Matt Bryant ready

The night before every game, the 44-year-old kicker has to drink a chocolate milkshake. It started Bryant's rookie year with the Giants in 2002.

"First of all, I love chocolate shakes,'' Bryant said. "I went into this little dining hall [as a Giant] and saw a sundae station. I asked, 'Is that for us?' And they were like, 'Yeah.' Then I was like, 'Is that free?' And they said, 'Yeah.' So I made me a chocolate shake. For the last 17 years, I've had a chocolate shake before every game.''

Bryant said he was shake-less just one time while playing for the Buccaneers (2005-08) but had an equipment guy run and get him one to keep the streak alive. -- Vaughn McClure

Carolina Panthers

Ron Rivera has a homemade cookie before every home game

Rivera's wife cooks him the same breakfast every game day. It's cinnamon toast and ham. Stephanie Rivera also gives her husband a peanut butter and oatmeal cookie before every game. -- David Newton

New Orleans Saints

Saints D-linemen make restaurants rich

Every Thursday, a rookie defensive lineman buys lunch for the rest of the position group -- a tradition that started even before Cameron Jordan arrived in 2011. But it's the restaurant rotation that has gotten especially superstitious in recent years.

The Saints defensive linemen start the season at Buffalo Wild Wings, then switch to Wingstop after a loss, then switch to Sonic after another loss. That meant 10 straight weeks at Wingstop last year during their 10-game win streak. And that meant a return to Wingstop once the playoffs started.

"We went based on record," defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth joked. -- Mike Triplett

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Peyton Barber's parents lead him in prayer

Barber prays with his mother, Lori, father, Ken, and girlfriend, Paloma, before every game. He has been praying with his family before games since high school.

"We all hop on either a three-way or four-way [phone call] before games. My girlfriend has been coming to all the home games for a while now and my mom usually comes to all my games, so we'll usually just buzz my dad in. ... That's right before we walk out before the game. We have to pray. My mom usually leads it, my dad will join in and then my mom will close the prayer." -- Jenna Laine

NFC WEST

Arizona Cardinals

A last-minute wardrobe change for a Cardinals starter

D.J. Humphries isn't one to sit around in his uniform before the game, waiting to take the field. The Cardinals' left tackle doesn't start getting dressed until 15 minutes before he needs to take the field for warm-ups. Until then, he's in the training room getting his body worked on. But when it's time to start getting dressed, Humphries isn't lackadaisical. It takes him two minutes to put on his knee brace. Once that's on, it's clear sailing. Humphries said he needs 7-8 minutes to get fully dressed.

Even though Humphries is comfortable with getting dressed in a such a short amount of time, it still stresses out right guard J.R. Sweezy every time.

"It's just pulling stuff up after I put my knee brace on," Humphries said. "I don't know why people make it a rocket science. We've been doing the same thing since we were 8 years old." -- Josh Weinfuss

Los Angeles Rams

John Johnson's pregame routine includes long bath

The safety takes a bath before every game. Home games, it's easy, with a bathtub in the team hotel. Away games can be a bit more challenging because some hotel rooms don't come with a tub. If that's the case, Johnson must wait until he gets to the stadium and climb in the hot tub.

How long does his bath last? Between 15 and 30 minutes, depending how disciplined he was climbing out of bed, and how long it takes for him to wrinkle up. Johnson listens to Meek Mill, Future and Drake to clear his mind. How long has he been doing this? "Since I got in the league, every game," Johnson said.

Last season, his pregame ritual helped him intercept a team-best four passes. Through four games this season, he has a team-best two interceptions. "I'm not superstitious," Johnson said. "But I do it just in case." -- Lindsey Thiry

San Francisco 49ers

Game-day letters from Dad get George Kittle fired up

Before each game, Kittle has a ritual he says is important in helping him get into game mode. Bruce Kittle, George's father, has been writing Kittle a letter before every game since he was a sophomore at Iowa.

Each letter contains words of inspiration, thoughts from the previous game, notes on the opponent and what Bruce calls some "pretty significant" trash talk as well as a variety of pop-culture references. The first thing the tight end does on game days is read that letter to get in the right frame of mind.

"I read that, I know, 'Hey, it's game day, lock in,'" Kittle said. From there, he headbutts a wall on the way to the field and his transformation is complete. -- Nick Wagoner

Seattle Seahawks

Punter drinks coffee with chocolate milk before games All-Pro punter Michael Dickson used to have some pregame traditions with his teammates at Texas he described as parodies of superstitions. One was that they'd pour a few ounces of orange Gatorade into cups, cheers with each other and take them down as if they were shots of alcohol. Now, his drink of choice on Sundays is a cup of coffee with chocolate milk as the substitute for creamer. He has that with every pregame meal.

"If I didn't do it, I'd still be fine but I just like doing it," he said. -- Brady Henderson

AFC EAST

Buffalo Bills

Frank Gore checks the mirror to see who's 'Bad'

Most players listen to music before games, and Gore is no different. But what sets the future Hall of Fame running back apart are the two songs he must hear before every contest: "Bad" and "Man in the Mirror," both by Michael Jackson. He'll listen to a variety of music in the locker room -- often not even listening to the lyrics, just the rhythm. But those songs are the last he plays before he steps onto the field because each stresses the importance of self-reflection and self-value.

Football is a team sport but, as Gore said: "It all starts with you." -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

Miami Dolphins

Specialist nails his routine

Long-snapper Taybor Pepper has to cut his fingernails exactly two days before every game. He does so because feels he gets his best grip on the ball with his nails at that length. He says long nails don't have a great chance of affecting his snaps, but he does it to avoid getting his fingers "caught in another player's jersey and ripping a nail."

He also says, if he doesn't cut his nails two days before, he won't cut them the day before because there's a risk of them being too short. "Two days before is the perfect length," Pepper said. -- Cameron Wolfe

New England Patriots

Tom Brady's shoulder pads older than some teammates

Brady still wears the same shoulder pads that were first issued to him during his freshman year at Michigan in 1995, a revelation first made on the "Quick Slants" podcast on NBCSports Boston. Brady was well into his third year wearing them when Patriots rookie cornerback Joejuan Williams was born in December 1997.

Brady said he's experimented with other shoulder pads, but has always come back to his "Douglas 25Ls," mainly because he's gotten used to the shape and feel.

"Once you find something you like, you stick with it," he said. -- Mike Reiss

New York Jets

Special-teamer preps in DIY sauna

Special-teams captain Rontez Miles turns the hotel shower into a makeshift steam room the night before every game. After bed check at 11 p.m., he takes two big towels and puts one on the shower floor, the other over his head and back. He puts the water on full blast for about 20 minutes and sits down with his back against the wall.

"It's calming, it's soothing, it helps you get to sleep," he said. "It's one of the best feelings ever. I've been doing it going on seven years now." -- Rich Cimini

AFC NORTH

Baltimore Ravens

Justin Tucker channels his inner 'Prime Time'

Tucker has a pregame routine that pays tribute to childhood idol Deion Sanders. The Baltimore kicker lays out his entire uniform -- even including his underwear -- on the floor in front of his locker.

"It's not a superstition, it's a ritual," Tucker said with a smile. "I think I'm superstitious about calling things superstitious. Laying my uniform in the shape of a guy on the floor started as early as elementary school when I playing soccer. I was inspired by Deion Sanders. So, Prime playing for the Dallas Cowboys, I knew that was one of the things he did. I thought it was really cool. I always saw myself as a DB at heart. I always modeled my game after Prime playing at recess in third and fourth grade." -- Jamison Hensley

It's about that time!! #GameDay #RavensNation - http://t.co/tzmk9LvVD4 pic.twitter.com/BqARKeztb3

— Justin Tucker (@jtuck9) August 13, 2015

Cincinnati Bengals

B.W. Webb needs a hot bath

When Webb walks into a hotel room on the road, the cornerback immediately checks to see if it has a bathtub. Since his college days at William & Mary, the tub is mandatory and the bath routine is precise. The essentials: hot water, Epsom salt, the same calming scent from Bath & Body Works, a phone call to his girlfriend. After exactly 15 minutes, Webb exits the tub, puts on a towel and walks down the hall to get a Gatorade. Sometimes, the logistics require extra effort.

On the Bengals' season-opening trip to Seattle, Webb switched rooms with rookie tight end Drew Sample so he could have a tub. "I just had to," Webb said. "I didn't feel right." -- Ben Baby

Cleveland Browns

Baker Mayfield needs a new lucky T-shirt

Since his sophomore year of high school, Mayfield had worn the same undershirt in every game -- prep, college and pro -- which his former high school teammate Conner Floyd, now an actor in Hollywood, had given to him.

The homemade T-shirt, originally intended for Lake Travis players in 7-on-7 leagues, however, finally ripped last season, making it no longer wearable. Mayfield said he has been hunting for a new lucky shirt but hasn't found an adequate replacement just yet. -- Jake Trotter

Pittsburgh Steelers

A daily car trip in Pittsburgh

Offensive linemen David DeCastro and Alejandro Villanueva always carpool to work, and the rare days they don't feel incomplete. The routine of hopping into one of their pickup trucks at 7 each morning began as a way to beat traffic -- two or more can use the high-occupancy vehicle lane. But the time together has grown a friendship.

"We talk about just about everything," said Villanueva about the nature of the car trips. The close-knit offensive line also won't kickoff without a late-week hangout session at center Maurkice Pouncey's house for ribs, treatment and conversation. -- Jeremy Fowler

AFC SOUTH

Houston Texans

Benardrick McKinney starts left to feel right

When the linebacker gets dressed for games, he has to "put everything on left first. My left sock has to go on before my right sock. My left shoe has to go on before my right shoe. If not, I feel like it's bad luck."

McKinney doesn't remember when he started this ritual but said he has long given himself "weird" rules to follow. -- Sarah Barshop

Indianapolis Colts

Darius Leonard doesn't deviate from his weekday menu

The linebacker took on an "if it's not broke, don't try to fix it" mentality as the tackles continued to pile up every week during his rookie season. That's why he ate the same two meals for breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday early in the 2018 season, when he led the NFL in tackles with 163. Two scrambled eggs with cheese, a waffle, two turkey sausages, apple juice and a smoothie for breakfast. Two scoops of mashed potatoes and a piece a salmon for lunch with no deviating on either meal throughout the week.

"I'm very superstitious," Leonard said. "It's worked for me. I eat all the simple stuff that doesn't hurt my stomach before practice, and it's in practice where you become better." -- Mike Wells

Jacksonville Jaguars

Smooth Teddy P gets Marcell Dareus ready for Sunday

Dareus likes to tune out the music being played in the locker room by putting in his headphones and listening to what he calls old-school R&B. The defensive tackle said he will occasionally put some new artists on his playlist, but the bulk of it is rhythm and blues from the 1960s-80s.

He'll have some Marvin Gaye and Al Green, too, but there's one person who is always on the playlist: "Teddy P [Pendergrass], always," Dareus said. "I like old school. They bring it back." -- Mike DiRocco

Tennessee Titans

Delanie Walker used to put faith in his socks

The tight end used to wear the same socks for games. The superstition started in high school when he used to wear Marvin the Martian socks. The Martian socks became Mule socks when he got to college at Central Missouri University, where the Mule is the mascot. Walker wore the same ones in college and kept them when he started his NFL career with the 49ers.

Things changed once he got to Nashville. "I had them for like 10 years. The equipment staff threw them away," Walker said. "After that, I lost the superstition." -- Turron Davenport

AFC WEST

Denver Broncos

Superstitious about not being superstitious

Cornerback Chris Harris Jr. might have spoken for many of the Broncos when he said, "I don't think we have many superstitions, like real superstitions where somebody can't go here, can't step there, has to do something a certain number of times or anything like that. At least I haven't seen it. How about high socks? I got to have my high whites.''

Harris said he "doesn't feel quite right" unless he has his white socks pulled up as high as possible on game day. And what if he didn't -- could he still play at the level that has earned him four Pro Bowl trips? "I don't know, I don't want to try that," he said. -- Jeff Legwold

Kansas City Chiefs

Chris Jones' gloves smell like 'a dead animal' ... but they work

Jones wore the same pair of gloves during his NFL-record 11-game sack streak last season. He was without a sack until a Week 5 game against the Jaguars. The defensive tackle tried a new pair of gloves and recorded one, so he wore the pair the next week and had another sack. He didn't change gloves again.

"My gloves smell like a dead animal, but I won't change them up because I'm very superstitious," Jones said. "I won't change the gloves at all. My teammates hate them. You can smell me coming."

Jones also ate the same meal at the same Kansas City restaurant with the same two people -- fellow Chiefs lineman Xavier Williams and former teammate Jarvis Jenkins -- every Monday for lunch.

"Even if I'm not hungry. I have to get the same meal, which is a chicken sandwich, a milkshake -- milkshakes are delicious -- two chicken breasts and three orders of fries,'' Jones said. "I don't eat all of this. It's just the fact that I got it one time, had success with it, and I feel like if something's not broken, why fix it?'' -- Adam Teicher

Los Angeles Chargers

Travis Benjamin takes pregame meditation lap

Since joining the league as a fourth-round pick for the Browns in 2012, Benjamin has taken a pregame lap around the field on game days, both for the functionality of getting his body warm and the meditation of getting his mind focused on the game. He said he keeps his head down as he runs, counting each yard marker as he passes it. Benjamin said the lap helps warm up his legs and get out some nervous energy before the game.

"Just taking that lap, it gives me a feeling of the field, no matter what stadium I'm in," he said. "I can remember back in my days in Cleveland I was taking a lap around the field." -- Eric D. Williams

Oakland Raiders

Josh Jacobs never takes off his No. 8 necklace

The rookie running back wears his favorite No. 8 as a diamond-encrusted, 14-carat medallion dangling from his necklace and never takes it off, he said.

"When I got to wear 8 in high school, I had a breakout year," said Jacobs, who wears No. 28 for the Raiders. "Same in college. I can't wear 8 in the league, obviously, so it's just symbolic. It's also my birth number [he was born in 1998], so that's kind of weird. ... It's just literally my favorite number, so I just feel like I play better with it. I don't know how to explain it; it's just something about the 8 that just, it puts me mentally in a different place. I take showers in it, everything." -- Paul Gutierrez

The new season is less than three weeks away and training camps are in full swing across the league. And while established stars are using the preseason to prepare for the grind of another campaign, others are using it as an opportunity to showcase their development.

In this training camp edition of ESPN's NBA Power Rankings, we're taking stock of the latest league hierarchy while breaking down one player on each team that could be on his way to becoming a household name in 2019-20.

Note: These rankings are based on where voters -- more than 40 ESPN NBA reporters, insiders and editors -- think teams belong heading into the 2019-20 season. Title odds for 2019-20 were provided by Caesars Sportsbook. ESPN.com's Malika Andrews, Tim Bontemps, Nick Friedell, Andrew Lopez, Tim MacMahon and Royce Young contributed the following information.

More: 30 camp questions | Lowe's intriguing players | Fantasy draft kit

1. LA Clippers
2018-19 record: 48-34
2020 title odds: +400
Previous rank: No. 3

Breakout candidate: Landry Shamet
Shamet shot 45% from beyond the arc last season with the Clippers, and he will help open up the floor for offseason acquisitions Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Now that Shamet has more solid footing in the league, the No. 26 overall pick in 2018 has an opportunity to help the new-look Clippers win a title -- and show the rest of the league what it missed in the process. -- Nick Friedell

2. Milwaukee Bucks
2018-19 record: 60-22
2020 title odds: +550
Previous rank: No. 1

Breakout candidate: Pat Connaughton
The Bucks' starting lineup, headlined by Giannis Antetokounmpo, is well-known. It wasn't the team's starters, however, that gave Milwaukee its advantage in the first two rounds of the 2019 playoffs; it was the bench. One of the leaders of Milwaukee's "Bench Mob" was Connaughton. He played his first three years in the league in Portland, and while athletic, he didn't see much playing time until his third NBA season. Last season, he averaged a career-high 20.7 minutes per game. Expect him to throw down flashier-than-expected dunks and once again be a key bench player. Plus, he is one of Antetokounmpo's favorite workout partners. -- Malika Andrews

3. Philadelphia 76ers
2018-19 record: 51-31
2020 title odds: +800
Previous rank: No. 4

Breakout candidate: Josh Richardson
Richardson was a real success story in Miami, growing into a productive starter after being a second-round pick in 2015. But now that he has arrived in Philadelphia as part of the summer's Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade -- and, as a result, going from a borderline playoff team to one with aims of competing for a championship -- Richardson has a chance to become a nationally recognized player, one whose game seems perfectly suited to fit seamlessly in Philadelphia's massive starting five. -- Tim Bontemps

4. Los Angeles Lakers
2018-19 record: 37-45
2020 title odds: +300
Previous rank: No. 6

Breakout candidate: Alex Caruso
Caruso has a chance to build on his cult-like popularity in Los Angeles by showing everyone that he can play at an even higher level this season. With LeBron James and now Anthony Davis in the fold, Caruso should get a lot more space on the floor to operate. At 25 years old, he still has plenty of time to grow his game in a lineup with a lot of star power. -- Friedell

5. Houston Rockets
2018-19 record: 53-29
2020 title odds: +900
Previous rank: No. 5

Breakout candidate: Danuel House Jr.
House is a rarity for the Rockets: a young, athletic, ascending talent in a Houston rotation that is stocked with veterans. He struggled on the playoff stage, in part due to a sore toe. But House showed enough promise for Houston to give him a three-year, $11 million deal this summer, a significant vote of confidence in a 26-year-old who had to fight for a two-way deal last fall. He has potential to be a phenomenal complement to Houston's ball-dominant stars as a springy 3-and-D force. -- Tim MacMahon

6. Denver Nuggets
2018-19 record: 54-28
2020 title odds: +1200
Previous rank: No. 2

Breakout candidate: Michael Porter Jr.
There is chatter around Porter and his possible impact on a contending team as he enters his official rookie season. Some believe he could be one of the biggest offseason acquisitions, as he fits into a role the Nuggets were missing last season. Assuming good health and an ability to carve out time in a fairly stacked rotation, Porter's skills at his size (6-foot-10) will have fans drooling over his potential. -- Royce Young

7. Utah Jazz
2018-19 record: 50-32
2020 title odds: +1400
Previous rank: No. 9

Breakout candidate: Royce O'Neale
O'Neale has emerged as an excellent role player since coming to the Jazz as an under-the-radar overseas find. At 6-foot-6 and 226 pounds, he probably is the Jazz's best perimeter defender, and he also can hold his own against a lot of power forwards, including on the glass (6.6 rebounds per 36 minutes in his NBA career). He was a low-usage role player who hit 38.6% from 3-point range last season, but don't be surprised if O'Neale starts for the Jazz. He certainly will be a significant part of the rotation for a Western Conference contender. -- MacMahon

8. Golden State Warriors
2018-19 record: 57-25
2020 title odds: +800
Previous rank: No. 11

Breakout candidate: Kevon Looney
Steve Kerr has repeatedly sung Looney's praises as a core piece for the organization. After signing a three-year, $15 million contract in the offseason, Looney figures to get plenty of minutes in a transition season for a Warriors group that is intent on proving to doubters that its championship window isn't closed. In order for it to stay open, Looney must take another step in his development this season. -- Friedell

9. Boston Celtics
2018-19 record: 49-33
2020 title odds: +2200
Previous rank: No. 7

Breakout candidate: Robert Williams
The most memorable thing about Williams' rookie season was his missing his introductory news conference. What is undeniable, though, is that he has all the potential to be an impact player in Boston. And with Al Horford's departure, not to mention coming off a summer in which Williams has been praised repeatedly for his work habits, he is going to get an opportunity to follow through on that potential. -- Bontemps

10. Portland Trail Blazers
2018-19 record: 53-29
2020 title odds: +2500
Previous rank: No. 8

Breakout candidate: Zach Collins
We got a glimpse in the 2019 playoffs, particularly in the Blazers' second-round series against the Nuggets during which Collins became an X-factor defending Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap. But as Jusuf Nurkic continues to recover and with the departures of Enes Kanter and Meyers Leonard, there's more opportunity for Collins. He needs more offensive consistency, but Collins is a savvy pick-and-roll player with elite defensive potential. -- Young

11. Brooklyn Nets
2018-19 record: 42-40
2020 title odds: +3500
Previous rank: No. 12

Breakout candidate: Caris LeVert
It looked as if LeVert was on his way to an All-Star berth when he got off to a hot start last season, only for an injury to derail those hopes instead. The Nets then showed their belief in LeVert's potential by inking him to a contract extension this summer. Now fully healthy -- and with Kevin Durant likely out the entire season -- LeVert has a chance to blossom into a star next to Kyrie Irving. -- Bontemps

12. Toronto Raptors
2018-19 record: 58-24
2020 title odds: +5000
Previous rank: No. 10

Breakout candidate: OG Anunoby
The combination of personal issues and injuries turned 2018-19 into a lost season for Anunoby -- something that wound up not mattering for Toronto, as Kawhi Leonard led the Raptors to their first championship. But now that Anunoby has had a whole summer to get his body right, and with both Leonard and Danny Green leaving via free agency, Toronto really needs Anunoby to become the player it appeared he could be after his impressive rookie year. If that happens, the Raptors will be sitting pretty with Anunoby and Pascal Siakam to build around in the years to come. -- Bontemps

13. San Antonio Spurs
2018-19 record: 48-34
2020 title odds: +4000
Previous rank: No. 13

Breakout candidate: Dejounte Murray
Murray was expected to have a breakout season a year ago, but he tore the ACL in his right knee during the preseason. Murray, 23, already has proved to be a premier defender, earning All-Defensive recognition as a part-time starter in 2017-18. It will be fascinating to see how his offensive game blossoms as he reaps the benefits of working with one of the league's best player development staffs. -- MacMahon

14. Miami Heat
2018-19 record: 39-43
2020 title odds: +5000
Previous rank: No. 14

Breakout candidate: Bam Adebayo
The 6-foot-10, 255-pound Adebayo put up 11.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 28 starts last season while averaging 28.2 minutes per game. With Hassan Whiteside shipped off to Portland, the starting center spot is Adebayo's to lose, with only Meyers Leonard as competition. There was a reason the Heat tried to keep Adebayo when the team was engaged in Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook discussions this offseason. -- Andrew Lopez

15. Dallas Mavericks
2018-19 record: 33-49
2020 title odds: +7500
Previous rank: No. 18

Breakout candidate: Delon Wright
Wright likely will have an opportunity to be a full-time starter for the first time in his career after the Mavs gave him a three-year, $28 million deal. Dallas needs Wright to be a defensive stopper first and foremost. He'll be a complementary ball handler, with point forward Luka Doncic as the primary initiator of the Mavs' offense. The big question is whether Wright can knock down the open 3s that the attention around Doncic will generate. -- MacMahon

16. New Orleans Pelicans
2018-19 record: 33-49
2020 title odds: +10000
Previous rank: No. 17

Breakout candidate: Frank Jackson
Did you know: In 13 March games before a concussion sidelined him for the last month of the previous campaign, Jackson averaged 15.5 points on 45.6% shooting, 37.5% from deep and 72.4% from the free throw line. His role will be a little less defined this season, as the Pelicans have to sort out where Jrue Holiday, Lonzo Ball, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Josh Hart and JJ Redick all fit together around superstar rookie Zion Williamson. But Jackson has the chance to be a considerable bench factor. -- Young

17. Indiana Pacers
2018-19 record: 48-34
2020 title odds: +5000
Previous rank: No. 15

Breakout candidate: Domantas Sabonis
After the Pacers lost star Victor Oladipo last season due to injury, Sabonis played a significant role in keeping the Pacers' playoff push afloat. He posted 10.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, and his performance off the bench put Sabonis in the conversation for Sixth Man of the Year. If his game evolves to include more 3-pointers, Sabonis has a real chance to become an All-Star. With Oladipo out for at least the beginning of the season, Sabonis' progress will be even more important to Indiana. -- Andrews

18. Sacramento Kings
2018-19 record: 39-43
2020 title odds: +15000
Previous rank: No. 20

Breakout candidate: Harry Giles
The flashes have been there at times for Giles. He has the ability in his game; now he just needs the consistency. If he can develop, the Kings have a chance to crack into the playoffs this season with a young, exciting core that includes De'Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield. -- Friedell

19. Detroit Pistons
2018-19 record: 41-41
2020 title odds: +25000
Previous rank: No. 16

Breakout candidate: Joe Johnson
Wait, 38-year-old Joe Johnson? Sure, breakout candidates are usually young, under-the-radar players, but Iso Joe is in the running for another reason. After a stint in the BIG3, Johnson used Ice Cube's league as a springboard, and he now finds himself back in the NBA with something to prove. Many know Johnson's name, but some might have forgotten his impact. He has the shooting capacity to help space the floor and aid Pistons' stars Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin. For the Pistons to capture a playoff win that eluded them last season, the team needs a healthy Griffin and guards to give Drummond some space to operate in the paint. Johnson could be one of those guards. -- Andrews

20. Minnesota Timberwolves
2018-19 record: 36-46
2020 title odds: +50000
Previous rank: No. 21

Breakout candidate: Josh Okogie
He will be on an All-Defense team at some point in his career, and it might be this season. As a rookie, Okogie was handed the biggest assignments, from defending Russell Westbrook to James Harden to Damian Lillard. He is a dogged defender with sneaky offensive pop and will be pushed to discover an even larger scoring role this season. -- Young

21. Orlando Magic
2018-19 record: 42-40
2020 title odds: +12500
Previous rank: No. 19

Breakout candidate: Jonathan Isaac
Isaac, a former No. 6 overall pick, went from 5.4 points per game to 9.6 points last season, and he should continue to see his production increase. Following the All-Star break last season, Isaac shot 38.2% from deep, after shooting just 28.7% to that point. Despite Orlando's logjam in the frontcourt, Isaac should continue to carve out a role at the small forward spot. -- Lopez

22. Oklahoma City Thunder
2018-19 record: 49-33
2020 title odds: +50000
Previous rank: No. 24

Breakout candidate: Terrance Ferguson
It has gone somewhat unnoticed, but at just 21 years old, Ferguson already has 86 NBA starts to his name. And last season, he quietly emerged as a quality 3-and-D player, hitting nearly 37% from deep on almost four attempts a game. He is an elite athlete with sneaky size (6-foot-7), but he has obvious areas to improve, specifically in attacking the paint off the dribble. OKC wants him to have the ball in his hands more, and there will be an opportunity to see where his game can go during the Thunder's transition. -- Young

23. Chicago Bulls
2018-19 record: 22-60
2020 title odds: +15000
Previous rank: No. 23

Breakout candidate: Wendell Carter Jr.
Before a season-ending thumb injury derailed his rookie year, Carter quickly was becoming a fan favorite. He threw down flashy dunks, averaged 10.3 points and seven rebounds per game and was a bright spot in the Bulls' otherwise disappointing season. In the locker room, he often offered his honest opinions and became a voice of leadership. If Carter can stay healthy and take a step forward in his development, he could become a breakout star this season. Eventually, his skill combined with his magnetic personality could even earn him an All-Star bid. -- Andrews

24. Atlanta Hawks
2018-19 record: 29-53
2020 title odds: +25000
Previous rank: No. 22

Breakout candidate: Kevin Huerter
The casual NBA fan knows about young stars Trae Young and John Collins, but the most they might know about Huerter is that he was the player Dwyane Wade chose to swap jerseys with last season. Huerter shot 38.5% from deep last season, and among Hawks players, only Young made more 3-pointers. -- Lopez

25. Washington Wizards
2018-19 record: 32-50
2020 title odds: +100000
Previous rank: No. 27

Breakout candidate: Thomas Bryant
Bryant was a cap casualty for the Lakers in the 2018 offseason, and the Wizards quickly scooped him up off waivers. After he played sparingly as a rookie for Los Angeles in 2017-18, Bryant turned around and put up 10.5 points and 6.3 rebounds a night for the Wizards last season and was rewarded with a three-year deal worth $25 million. Washington will hope he produces like he did over the final 10 games, though, when he put up 16.5 points and 10.2 rebounds in just under 32 minutes per game. -- Lopez

26. Memphis Grizzlies
2018-19 record: 33-49
2020 title odds: +100000
Previous rank: No. 26

Breakout candidate: Grayson Allen
It was going to be tough for Allen to crack the rotation in Utah, but he should have plenty of opportunity in Memphis, after being sent to the Grizzlies as part of the Mike Conley trade. He has the tools to develop into a good complement to the Ja Morant-Jaren Jackson Jr. core. Allen arrived in the NBA as a hard-nosed (or dirty, depending on the view) shooter, but he also is a springy finisher. -- MacMahon

27. Cleveland Cavaliers
2018-19 record: 19-63
2020 title odds: +100000
Previous rank: No. 30

Breakout candidate: Collin Sexton
Entering his second NBA season, Sexton certainly is talking as if he is ready to be the Cavaliers' new leader. Cleveland bobbled after the departure of LeBron James and repeated injury blows to their remaining core, but Sexton was one of the few sunny sports in an otherwise dreary 2018-19 season. Sexton shot 40% from 3 and 83% from the free throw line, and he averaged 16.7 points per game, stats that put him alongside Larry Bird and Stephen Curry as the only rookies in league history to tally those numbers. -- Andrews

28. Phoenix Suns
2018-19 record: 19-63
2020 title odds: +50000
Previous rank: No. 25

Breakout candidate: Mikal Bridges
Playing alongside point guard Ricky Rubio should give Bridges even more chances to shoot from all over the floor. Bridges closed the final month of last season shooting 38.9% from deep, and he will create even more trust within new coach Monty Williams' system if he can hit more from long range. On a team hoping to make a jump this season, Bridges has enough talent to be a catalyst. -- Friedell

29. New York Knicks
2018-19 record: 17-65
2020 title odds: +25000
Previous rank: No. 28

Breakout candidate: Mitchell Robinson
Robinson was a revelation for the Knicks last season. The 2018 second-round pick shot 69% from the field and blocked 161 shots in just 1,360 minutes (19 starts). Now, with a clear role as the Knicks' starting center, New York needs Robinson to build on his promising rookie season and become a true foundational piece in what will be yet another rebuilding season at Madison Square Garden. -- Bontemps

30. Charlotte Hornets
2018-19 record: 39-43
2020 title odds: +100000
Previous rank: No. 29

Breakout candidate: Miles Bridges
Last season as a rookie, Bridges found himself in a starting role at the end of the season and saw his production levels begin to rise going from 6.5 points as a reserve to 9.6 points per game as a starter. But his production levels aren't why he could be poised for a breakout season. It's his dunks. He was a participant in the 2019 Slam Dunk Contest, but what he showed in summer league -- a Eurostep into a windmill during a game -- could put him on the radars of all NBA fans as nightly highlight producer. -- Lopez

WASHINGTON -- It was an awfully close shave.

Not the Washington Nationals' stunning, one-run, come-from-behind, wild-card win against Josh Hader and the Milwaukee Brewers. Although that was close too. The shave in question was the one on Dave Martinez's face on Tuesday afternoon.

"I screwed up," said Washington's manager, explaining why his trademark five o'clock shadow looked more like noon. "The guard on my clipper was off on one side, and I just went, oh no. I had to lower it a bit."

In other words, it wasn't some playoff superstition that Martinez had adopted during his decade as bench coach under Joe Maddon at Tampa Bay and Chicago. It wasn't a wild-card whim that the Nats' skipper woke up thinking about. It was an accident, plain and simple. But Martinez, who forever preaches about staying in the here and now, about going 1-0 today, was ready to roll with it. Maybe even hold on to it, depending on the outcome of the National League wild-card game that was about to take place.

"Let's see what happens today," he said with a chuckle.

What happened was this: Ace Max Scherzer, starting despite a rocky finish to an injury-marred season, walked the leadoff hitter and gave up two home runs to the first six batters as the Nats went down 3-0. Stephen Strasburg, coming out of the bullpen for the first time since his freshman year in college, was dominant in three innings of relief. The Nationals, down 3-1 heading into the eighth inning and facing All-Star reliever Hader, grinded out three runs thanks to a huge bases-loaded knock from 20-year-old Juan Soto (with an assist from rookie Brewers outfielder Trent Grisham, who charged in too hard on Soto's single and allowed Anthony Rendon to score the go-ahead run from first). Oh, and Washington closer Daniel Hudson pitched a scoreless ninth to end Milwaukee's season and, at least for one night, make everyone in D.C. forget about just how horrible the Nats' bullpen was this season.

But perhaps most importantly, what happened was that, unlike what transpired with his razor earlier in the day, Martinez didn't screw up. Quite the opposite.

On an unseasonably warm October night, Martinez pushed all the right buttons. He lifted Scherzer after five innings and only 77 pitches, replacing him with a guy who had never thrown a single inning of relief in 242 professional appearances. In that fateful eighth inning, he sent up pinch hitter Michael Taylor to face Hader. Even though Taylor had spent most of the season at Double-A after being demoted, and even though he had veteran Ryan Zimmerman available on the bench, Martinez liked that Taylor had reached base twice in two career trips against Hader. Two batters after Taylor reached for a third time (on a hit by pitch), Martinez used Zimmerman, who blooped a two-out single to center that kept the inning alive and helped set the stage for Soto's big hit.

Which helped set the stage for Washington's second goggle-wearing, liquid-spraying celebration in less than a week. It's the first time the Nationals have ever popped bottles after advancing in the postseason.

"You can't really look at the past; you can't really look at the future," said Strasburg, when asked to compare the feeling now to that of two years ago, when he was dominant in two starts against the Cubs during a division series that Washington lost, its fourth playoff series defeat in four tries. "The thing about the playoffs, especially the situation we're in, you can't really predict what's going to happen. You can't look into a crystal ball. You just gotta enjoy the moment and be present."

In other words, let's see what happens today.

It pretty much has been Martinez's motto all year. When the Nats suffered a four-game sweep to the New York Mets and were 12 games under .500, and Martinez was this close to being canned (if you believe everything that sports talk callers tell you), he didn't change his tune. When they rebounded to go 57-24 over their next 81 games and take a commanding wild-card lead heading into September, he didn't change his tune. When his team went cold down the stretch and nearly coughed up said wild-card lead, he didn't change his tune.

Let's see what happens today.

Because of what happened Tuesday, when Washington won its ninth game in a row, Martinez and the Nationals now have a date with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday ... and Friday and Sunday. And maybe Monday and Wednesday after that, depending on how exactly the division series unfolds.

"It's going to be tough," Nationals shortstop Trea Turner said of the daunting task that lies ahead, wherein Washington will face an L.A. juggernaut that won a franchise-record 106 games this season to complement its current of run of seven straight division titles. "But I think if there's a team that's ever been ready to face some adversity, it's this one right here."

As Turner sat at the podium and delivered his postgame comments, he wore a helmet. It wasn't a batter's helmet. Or a catcher's helmet. Instead, it appeared to be a soccer goalie's helmet. Made of white leather with red writing, it bore the logo of Turner's alma mater (NC State), and it had been sitting in his locker for months.

"I did not order this or receive this within the last week," said Turner, his voice nasal from the goggles that were still strapped over his helmet and pinching his nose. "It's been there for a while."

In fact, according to Turner, the lid had been in his cubby for about four months. Ever since the Nationals were teetering on the brink of extinction. On Tuesday, after his team came back from the brink against Hader and the Brewers, he finally decided to strap the thing on. Because why not?

"I didn't plan anything," Turner said. "It just happened."

For all we know, maybe Turner was fibbing. Maybe it was the bubbly talking and the truth is that the helmet was a premeditated prop, procured expressly for the purposes of poppin' bottles. For that matter, maybe Martinez was fibbing too. Maybe his close shave wasn't an accident at all, but rather a contrived coif meant to shake things up and help the Nats exorcise their postseason demons.

For what it's worth, those demons haven't been fully exorcised yet. Because one wild-card win doesn't erase the sting of four NLDS losses. But it's a start.

"We vowed that we won't quit," said Martinez, seemingly summing up his team's Tuesday and its season in one fell swoop. "I told the boys, I promise you, stay with it, don't quit, this will turn around. And it did. And here we are today."

Discovering her own recipe for success has brought results, increased confidence and progress for the European 5000m silver medallist who refuses to stand still

The thought of running a marathon “horrifies” Eilish McColgan. Even racing half that distance elicits a slight shudder, quickens the pulse and starts her mind ticking about whether or not such targets are achievable.

Yet there was a time, not so long ago, when she felt the same way about running 5000m, not mention recent trepidation about tackling 10,000m on the track at Highgate.

Now the former steeplechaser has arrived in Doha having competed over the 13-and-a-half lap distance at the Olympic Games and world championships, as well as winning a European silver medal last summer.

She is ready to test herself against the world’s best again, before she turns her attention completely towards tackling the 25-lap option in Tokyo next year.

Slowly, mother and coach Liz – the 1991 world 10,000m champion, Olympic silver medallist and someone who knows a thing or two about road running – has been lengthening her daughter’s disciplines and Eilish is fully accepting of the pathway which lies ahead for her.

The changing challenge has resulted in the 2017 European indoor 3000m bronze medallist surprising herself and gaining confidence in the process.

“I feel like I’ve had a good two years now and I hope to build on that for the next couple and onwards for what will hopefully be a career on the roads,” she says. “I think that’s the natural stepping stone.

“You move up the distances and this year was my first step up to the 10,000m and I really enjoyed it (McColgan ran 31:17.36 at Parliament Hill in July to finish third).

“I wasn’t prepared for it at all so the fact that I ran the time I did surprised me a bit.

“It made me think that, if I’d trained for it, if I’d prepared for it, I feel like I could run sub-31. I never believed I could do that, I never had the confidence even in my own abilities to think that would ever be possible.”

She adds: “It’s about having the confidence and belief in yourself that you can do something and I think my Mum’s been really influential in that. Every year she gradually ups the distance.

“I remember thinking that I could never run a 5k and then there I was at the Olympic Games competing over 5000m. Even last year I was thinking ‘I’ll never do a 10,000m at a champs, I don’t think I’m good enough to do it’ and now for Tokyo I’m gearing everything towards that.

“I think it will be the same for the half-marathon and the marathon. I’m sure that in the very near future I’ll be doing a half-marathon and at the moment I think ‘god, there’s no way I’ll do that’ but somewhere down the line my mum will have that in her plans.

“The idea of running a marathon absolutely horrifies me but I know that, certainly, after Tokyo that’s exactly where I’m heading. From 2020 onwards I’ll be looking towards the roads.”

“I’ve been able to look back through training diaries and you can start to see patterns and think ‘Wait a minute, why are we continuing to do that, because we know that if we do this then I’ll end up breaking down or I’ll get injured or sick?'”

The immediate task at hand, of course, comes in Qatar and McColgan is taking further confidence from the fact that she has been largely untroubled on her way to the start line.

In previous years, the near-constant cycle of getting fit, getting injured and getting fit again meant there was a persistent feeling of playing catch-up and that, when the time came to perform, vital energy had been spent in securing her starting spot in the first place.

It’s very different now that the right training balance has been struck.

“I’ve never ever been in this shape before,” she says. “Consistency has been the key. Being able to put weeks and weeks of training behind me and I think that’s made a real difference.

“I’d say 2017 was probably the first year where I had a bit of a breakthrough as I’d call it. I broke all my PBs that year and ran 8:31 for the 3000m, I ran 4:01 for the 1500m and I’d run 14:48 for the 5000m.

“I’d like to think that I’m in slightly better shape than that but, certainly, I’d say that I’m a completely different athlete from the one I was in 2016 and previous years to that.

“I’d like to think that from 2017 to now I’ve just been building on that breakthrough and continuing to just be consistent.

“I still get injured and I still get sick, but just nowhere near the level that I was previously and I think that’s just because we’ve changed my training and we’re now training a lot smarter. Those thought processes of when you’re younger is that more is always best when actually that isn’t the case and I think that’s really reflected now in my performances and my training.”

Is that also a reflection of a growing maturity?

“When you first come into the sport, you’re very aware of what other athletes are doing, so you see all these people that are training twice a day, they’re doing sessions every two days, this and that and you think ‘I need to be running 80-100 miles a week, I need to be doing really hard quality sessions, I need to be doing strength work….’ .

“You see what other athletes are doing and feel that, in order to be the best, that’s what you need to do, but everyone’s different.

“You start to realise everyone’s bodies are different, everyone matures at different rates – some people maybe don’t have to have such a high intensity workload and perhaps have to do more quality rather than quantity.

“There are so many different ways for people to train.

“As you get older, I suppose you have to get more confident in your abilities and your own workloads – you know what your body can or can’t take. I think it’s taken a little while to get to that point but I think with having that experience I’ve been able to look back through training diaries (I’ve kept one since I was 14 years old) and after a couple of years you can start to see patterns and think ‘wait a minute, why are we continuing to do that because we know that if we do this then I’ll end up breaking down or I’ll get injured or sick or something?’.

“You can tell from the patterns what works and what doesn’t work. It’s a case of becoming a bit more confident, ignoring what other people are doing, focusing on what you can do and what’s best for your body to get results out of you.”

With Liz living and also coaching in Qatar, Eilish spends two weeks every Christmas in Doha and can be guaranteed plenty of support from her mother’s young athletics squad, all of whom have bought tickets to see her run.

Asked what she expects of herself when it comes to these championships, she says: “I have to be realistic in my own goals and I always am. Going into major championships, I always aim to try and run a personal best.

“If I can run faster than I’ve ever run before and that gets me to fourth, fifth, sixth or wherever in the world then I’ll accept it because I can’t control what other people do. It’s a case of focusing on myself and executing the race in the way that me, my team and my coach have planned.

“The aim for me is always just to get faster, to run as fast as I possibly can and to push my body to times that I know I’m capable of.

“It’s exciting now to be getting closer and closer to medal territory – perhaps not this year but certainly looking towards Tokyo next year over the 10,000m if I could break into the top five in the world at the Olympic Games – that’s certainly my main aim and a big goal for me.”

To keep coming back after surgeries and injuries, to keep pushing simply can’t happen without motivation. The source of McColgan’s is hope.

“It’s that thought of ‘what if everything went well?’,” she says. “I had a glimpse of that in Berlin that, actually, when my body is co-operating, when it’s 100 per cent, when I’ve not had any real setbacks and a smooth build-up into a race I know that I can perform at that level and produce those good results.

“It’s the thought and glimmer of hope that at some point things will click and Berlin was a glimpse of that. I felt the same thing when I won my first medal at the European Indoors. It gave me a sense of ‘actually maybe I can do this, maybe I am good enough’.”

The British heptathlete has enjoyed her best-ever preparation for a major champs as she prepares to take on world No.1 Nafi Thiam

Nafissatou Thiam and Katarina Johnson-Thompson are separated by just five points on this season’s rankings and their heptathlon battle in Doha could be just as close.

Johnson-Thompson scored a PB of 6813 to win at the prestigious Gotzis event in May but one month later Thiam notched up 6819 in Talence, setting the scene perfectly for one of the most anticipated head-to-heads of the IAAF World Championships.

Johnson-Thompson could hardly be coming into the event in better shape either. She has enjoyed a succession of victories at the World Indoor Championships and Commonwealth Games last year followed by the European Indoor Championships this year.

Thiam came out top in their European Championships clash last year but it was a hard-fought contest and the Belgian athlete also holds the Olympic and world titles after victories in Rio 2016 and London 2017.

But Johnson-Thompson is on a roll and says her preparation has never gone better, as she hopes to keep her momentum going in Qatar in the coming days.

“Training has been going well and competitions have been going well too,” the 26-year-old says. “I’ve had the best run-in I’ve ever had and I’m just looking forward to getting out there now.”

In the past, Johnson-Thompson’s competitive mettle has been tested but she believes she has overcome those issues.

“I’m not putting pressure on myself to win but I’m applying the pressure to do what I know I’m capable of,” she says.

“When training and competitions have gone so well, I need to show that with my performance. There’s pressure to win and there’s pressure to do well out there and compete to my best.”

She continues: “I’ve had good momentum going into each of my big competitions lately. The last two have been good, with decent scores so I think I’m once again coming into shape at the right time.”

The heptathlon schedule in Doha is unusual compared to most championships. The first event, the 100m hurdles, kicks off at 5.05pm local time (3.05pm in the UK) on Wednesday October 3 with the final event of the first day, the 200m, at 10.35pm. Then, the second day kicks off at 6.15pm with the long jump and finishes shortly after midnight with the climactic 800m.

“I’m going to enjoy every second of it,” says Johnson-Thompson, “especially the lie-in at the start of the second day!”

But she adds: “The main thing with the timetable is making sure I’ll have time with my coach. The heptathlon and decathlon are at the same time and he’ll have 17 events over two days to keep an eye on and manage. That’s the main challenge for me. I’m not fussed about anything else because we’re all in the same boat when it comes to the heat and the late evening sessions.”

As for the heat, Johnson-Thompson says that being based in France means she is more acclimatised to it. This is especially the case after this recent summer where parts of France hit record temperatures of 46C. “It was unbearable,” she remembers, “and we were saying that’s what it’s going to be like in Doha although there’s going to be air-con in the stadium.”

A prodigious young athlete, Johnson-Thompson experienced the Olympics in 2012 when she was 15th in the heptathlon in London. In 2014 she became world No.1 in the heptathlon with a score of 6682 and she began 2015 with a European indoor title setting a British pentathlon record. But the World Championships in Beijing in 2015 turned into a disaster when she fouled her long jump attempts.

Long jump has usually been a great event for her – she is a former UK record-holder and won world indoor long jump silver in 2014. Further disappointment followed at the Rio Olympics when she was sixth in the heptathlon after underpar throws and she made the tough decision to leave long-time coach Mike Holmes and her home in Liverpool to move to Montpellier in France.

On her move to France to be coached by Bertrand Valcin in a group that contains world decathlon record-holder Kevin Mayer, her recent results show it was a good decision.

“At the last Worlds it was only one summer into my move,” she says, after finishing fifth in the heptathlon and high jump in London 2017. “But I knew it was the right decision for me at the time.

“My training was going well but I hadn’t changed many of my techniques and I didn’t have as much belief in myself.

“It feels like a lifetime ago now. I feel so much better now in myself. We’re coming into the World Championships and Olympics and I’m happy with the place I’m in right now.”

Confidence is at an all-time high.

“As long as I’m still making progress in each of my events, it gives me confidence,” she says. But she also knows there is always the chance for something to go wrong in the heptathlon.

“You never know with heptathlon as there are so many opportunities to have slip-ups. In the heptathlon you do get good performances and bad ones and unfortunately the level heptathlon is, at the moment, if you have a bad performance – even a small one – it will cost you medals.

“I’m just trying to make sure I’m consistent every time I come out on to the track. That’s all I can do, really – look for consistency through all my events and hope for a big performance here and there.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had that one heptathlon where it’s all come together for me and that’s what I’m working toward and what Nafi is working toward as well.”

If it comes down to the wire in Doha, will she try to get into the head of Thiam? Johnson-Thompson says no.

“I prefer to focus on myself and trying to make myself the best heptathlete I can be rather than trying to play mind games with someone and attempting to win that way,” she says.

Seven things you didn’t know about KJT

1 Striving to improve her mental game, Katarina Johnson-Thompson has called upon the services of Steve Peters. Peters is a world-beating masters sprinter who appeared on a recent cover of AW but has also worked as a sports psychiatrist with England footballers, British cyclists and snooker player Ronnie O’Sullivan.

2 Few athletes have won as many national titles as Johnson-Thompson and she has taken them in events as varied as long and high jump to sprint hurdles and 300m indoors.

3 If she wasn’t an elite athlete, Johnson-Thompson has said in the past that she would like to have been an interior designer

4 KJT went to the same school in Liverpool as Jodie Comer – the actress who stars in TV series Killing Eve – and they have remained friends ever since.

5 World indoor sprint hurdles champion Andy Pozzi is Johnson-Thompson’s boyfriend but in the past she has dated DJ Nick Bright.

6 In the past KJT has admitted to being addicted to Candy Crush and also watching too much daytime television, although that was before she moved to live and train in France.

7 The athlete has two pet dachshunds, Chorizo and Bronx, who are back home in Liverpool.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Mazda is coming back to the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in 2020.

The manufacturer has 36 Michelin Pilot Challenge victories but has not competed in the series since the race at Lime Rock Park in 2018. That’s about to change dramatically, as the new Mazda3 TCR race car was publicly unveiled this afternoon at the manufacturer’s U.S. headquarters in Irvine, California.

“TCR represents a great opportunity for us to showcase the new Mazda3 and provide our customers another avenue to race Mazda vehicles,” said Masahiro Moro, Chairman and CEO, Mazda North American Operations. “Some of our most important successes in IMSA and SRO TC Americas have been thanks to dedicated customers who chose to race with Mazda, and we hope the next generation of Mazda racers see the same potential in the new Mazda3 TCR.”

The new car will be powered by a turbocharged, four-cylinder engine with 350 horsepower and a six-speed paddle shift transmission. The car is homologated to compete in any of the 36 TCR-sanctioned championships around the world, including the Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR class.

“The Mazda3 features the outstanding design and engineering that Mazda is known for, and because of that, it is a fantastic foundation for our new Mazda3 TCR,” said Mazda Motorsports director, John Doonan. “We have looked forward to returning to the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge for several seasons, and everyone at Mazda is very excited that we will do just that in 2020.”

The Mazda3 TCR is expected to make its Michelin Pilot Challenge debut in the four-hour BMW Endurance Challenge at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, Jan. 26 as part of the Rolex 24 At Daytona event weekend. The car has been developed and is supported by Long Road Racing, which also manufactures the Global Mazda MX-5 Cup race car.

Speaking of Global MX-5 Cup, the first driver of the Mazda3 TCR also was introduced as part of this afternoon’s unveiling and it is 2019 Global MX-5 Cup champion Bryan Ortiz. The Puerto Rican driver won the championship on Sept. 21 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and is utilizing the $200,000 career advancement scholarship from Mazda to return to the Michelin Pilot Challenge.

Ortiz actually debuted in the series in 2005 and also was part of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program for three seasons before shifting his focus back to sports cars. He has competed in Global MX-5 Cup since 2017, with six victories and 18 podium finishes.

“To have this opportunity that Mazda has given me is a huge honor, Ortiz said. “Mazda gives aspiring drivers an opportunity that no other company does, and that’s to advance to the next step in their career. Now that I am the Global MX-5 Cup champion, I’m proud to represent Mazda and have the trust of the company to race the new Mazda3 TCR. Now, I’m focused on working with everyone at Mazda Motorsports to be ready for the first race at Daytona in January.”

“One of the reasons we launched the Global MX-5 Cup platform was to provide an equal playing field that would enable driving talent to shine through, and to then provide a career advancement scholarship to help the drivers make the next step,” Doonan added. “Bryan has taken full advantage of that, and having seen him compete and getting to know him over the past three seasons, I’m very excited that he will continue to be a part of the Mazda family as part of our Mazda3 TCR program.”

The past 11 months have been difficult for Logan McAllister.

He lost his swing.

He lost his lineup spot.

He lost his confidence.

But Tuesday at Pumpkin Ridge, the Oklahoma sophomore’s journey back from near obscurity finally reached its renaissance. In one of the toughest events of the season, the Nike Golf Collegiate Invitational, McAllister won his first college tournament since November 2018 in wire-to-wire fashion, besting Vanderbilt standout John Augenstein by a shot and topping a field that included All-Americans Cole Hammer of Texas, Austin Eckroat of Oklahoma State and Trent Phillips of Georgia.

“It’s big for the confidence after being off that much time,” said McAllister, who shot 65-67-70 to finish at 11 under and help the Sooners to a four-shot team victory over Wake Forest. “When you’re away for that long, there are some doubts in your head, you don’t really know if you can still compete.”

McAllister was a prized recruit for Oklahoma coach Ryan Hybl last fall before he compiled a respectable 71.22 scoring average in three starts his first semester. But after McAllister for 33^rd at the Sooners’ fall finale in Hawaii, he sat down with Hybl and they decided that he needed to re-tool his game, particularly his swing.

For years, McAllister played a roping draw, getting the club super laid off at the top, bringing it down way inside and then hitting significantly up and out at the ball. Often times, his swing path would reach as much as plus-7 degrees.

“You could go to your local country club and see about 10 guys on the range with that path, but none of them could break 100,” McAllister said. “It was a miracle that I was even in the position I was in swinging like that.”

McAllister started working with Ryan Rody, director of instruction at Southern Hills, last winter. Rody, who also teaches Oklahoma players Garett Reband and Quade Cummins, helped McAllister tear down his wildly inconsistent swing and build it back up.

The process, however, was tedious. McAllister didn’t tee it up for the Sooners at all last spring. While his teammates were competing, the freshman often spent hours along at the team’s practice facility trying to hone his new swing.

“He was getting beat down a lot,” Hybl said. “College golf is hard when you’re not playing. But he knew that he wasn’t ready to be playing, either; his game just was not there.”

Late in the season, however, Hybl made the decision to allow McAllister to travel with the team, beginning with the Big 12 Championship. While technically the team’s sub for regionals and nationals, McAllister never hit a shot, but the experience proved invaluable.

Each round, Hybl would have McAllister follow a different teammate and pay attention to certain aspects of that player’s game. The freshman would take notes and report back to Hybl what he had learned.

“I can’t say enough about how much just being at those events meant to me,” McAllister said. “For one, I don’t think I’d be where I am right now if it wasn’t for that just because I was able to see stuff that you kind of notice when you’re playing with guys but you notice it so much more when you’re sitting there watching every shot.

“I learned something every single minute I was out there.”

McAllister had an unspectacular summer but did manage to score a top-10 finish at the Monroe Invitational. When he arrived back on campus, he had shown improvement, though it still wasn’t enough to crack the lineup for Oklahoma’s first two fall events.

But after McAllister returned from a lesson with Rody two weeks ago, Hybl noticed a significant change.

“You could see it immediately,” Hybl said.

McAllister went out and won the team’s four-round qualifier for the Nike. He then opened the tournament in 6-under 65 and recorded just two bogeys in his first 36 holes. With three holes to play Tuesday, McAllister was tied with Reband at 11 under while Augenstein was in the clubhouse at 10 under – but it was Reband, a senior, who bogeyed his final two holes, while McAllister made three clutch pars to win by a shot.

“That feeling of being in contention, it’s one that I’ve had before but I haven’t had in a while,” McAllister said. “It was definitely pretty nerve-racking coming down the stretch, but those are the kind of nerves that you want, that’s why you play golf, so it was fun getting to feel that again because it’s been a long time.”

McAllister admitted that his victory was unexpected. Moving forward, though, it would be of little surprise to see the sophomore firmly establish his place on an NCAA title contender.

“He’s a big-time player, we’ve known that for a while, but I don’t know if he quite had the tool set that he needed,” Hybl said. “For him to go back and re-work everything and now do this, I’m really pumped for him. I imagine his confidence is going to be sky high after this and hopefully he just takes off.”

McAllister has rediscovered his confidence.

His lineup spot? That, too.

And his revamped swing, well, it’s looking pretty good at the moment.