Clinton Portis Says He Took Shots of Hennessy Before Games: 'It Was a Turn-Up'

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

Running back Clinton Portis' drinks of choice on game days during his NFL career included more than just water and Gatorade.

On Monday, Portis appeared on FS1's Fair Game with Kristine Leahy and discussed his pregame ritual of taking a shot of Hennessy before taking the field.

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

While Portis compared it to a "pregame" drink before going out with friends, he also said he used Hennessy to deal with the toll that football took on his body. He pointed out he avoided painkillers and drugs as coping mechanisms and instead turned to the shot of Hennessy.

"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, which all of the sudden, it comes out and it's hazardous to your health," he said.

Hennessy likely isn't the pregame drink many players turn toward, but it helped the University of Miami product reach two Pro Bowls, take home the Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2002 and surpass 1,200 rushing yards six times during his nine-year NFL career.

Videos you might like