How does Dave Canales prepare for NFL games? Panthers rookie head coach shares his pregame tradition

Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales has been in the league for a long time as an assistant, but Sunday will be his first game as an NFL head coach.

Jul 30, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales speaks with wide receiver David Moore (83) at Carolina Panthers Practice Fields. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

If you're competing in the NFL in any capacity and you're not amped up before a game then you're in the wrong business. Players always have pregrame routines to get themselves prepared and work on their nerves that are firing fast on game days. Head coaches are no different, sometimes.

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales is one of them, it seems. Even though Canales has been in the league a long time as an assistant, tomorrow will be his very first game as a head coach at this levle, so you can bet he's some strong combination of nervous and excited.

Apparently Canales likes to workout before a game on the field, then he goes up into the coaches box and recites his call sheet out loud. Here's Canales describing his pregame routine on Friday.

Dave Canales has a pretty cool pregame tradition. After he works out on the field, he goes up to the coaches box and goes through his call sheet, saying the plays aloud. pic.twitter.com/EpaM3YHHH9

— Joe Person (@josephperson) September 6, 2024

Whatever works.

Canales faces a pretty decent challenge in his first game, tomorrow. The Panthers will be visiting the New Orleand Saints, who are favored by four points.

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