Falcons must face their superstitions and Packers

Wide receiver Roddy White doesn’t wear wrist bands or pads in his pants. He doesn't want anything to slow him down.

"I do take an IV before the game," White said. "That's just my pre-game ritual."

Other players have some simple routines they try to follow.

"I just pray before I play," wide receiver Eric Weems said.

Others have elaborate meals and timetables. Safety Erik Coleman could use a chef and a symphony.

"Before the game, I'm a mellow kind of guy," Coleman said. "At the hotel I will always eat scrambled eggs with chicken breast and peppers with a Belgium waffle. That's my pre-game meal."

Once the meal is consumed, Coleman makes musical selections that show a method to his pre-game madness.

"I'll listen to some slow music to calm myself down," Coleman said. "When I get fired up thinking about the game, my hearts starts racing so I have to calm down. Before warm-ups, I listen to some more up-tempo music and then I'm ready to go out there and get it on."

Coleman also makes sure that he leaves some time to meditate.

"I definitely do a lot of praying," Coleman said, "just giving thanks for the opportunity that I have and the position that I'm in. This is a game I love playing."

Coleman swings into his routine about 3 1/2 hours before kickoff.

Linebacker Mike Peterson, a 12-year veteran, admits to be a creature of habit.

"When you've been doing it so long, I don't know if you call it pre-game ritual or if you just call them survival techniques," Peterson said. "I just try to do the same thing. I have a playlist of music and I know when a certain song comes on, what I'm supposed to be doing by that time.

"I do the same thing. I get dressed the same way. Since I've been here, I walk in the stadium the same way. I speak to the same people every time that I walk into the stadium. I'm an old school guy. I like to keep everything simple."

His iPod is packed with a bunch of Southern rappers like Rick Ross, T.I. and Young Jeezy.

"Anything to get me riled up," Peterson said. "Anything that I can get on that iPod to make me feel like I can run through a wall."

Cornerback Dunta Robinson also keeps it simple.

"When we win here at the Georgia Dome, I have to park in the same spot every time," Robinson said. "After the Saints game, I had to switch it up for [the Carolina game the following week]. It really doesn't mean much, but it's something that makes me comfortable."

Kickers are generally the more off-beat guys in the locker room. But Matt Bryant is pretty normal.

"On Saturday night, I have a chocolate shake," Bryant said. "I've been doing that since I was a rookie. That's my Saturday night thing. Where ever we are staying, I get them to make me a chocolate shake and I'm good."

Fullback Ovie Mughelli eats the same breakfast.

"I eat my waffle with eggs, ham, cheese, onions and tomatoes," Mughelli said. "I've done that for four years straight."

The timing is important.

"For a 1 p.m. game, I have to eat it right at 9 a.m.," he said. "Besides that, I go to the stadium, get ready. I have a routine of getting ready and go out there and say a little prayer before every game and go play."

Defensive tackle Vance Walker likes to listen to rock group Linkin Park and some Southern rap to get his head right for games.

"Nothing too peculiar," Walker said. "Really from my hotel room, I will start playing my feel-good music. As I get closer and closer to game time, it will start getting more heavy metal or just some hard core stuff to get me pumped up."