One of the most memorable moments in Marshawn Lynch’s prolific pro football career did not happen. At least not in the way that the former Seattle Seahawks star likely envisioned.
The Seahawks famously eschewed a short-yardage run with Lynch at the end of Super Bowl 49, opting instead to have quarterback Russell Wilson try and throw for the go-ahead score. The resulting interception by Malcolm Butler birthed an unlikely Super Bowl hero and helped kick-start the second leg of the New England Patriots dynasty.
And it swept the rug out from under Lynch, Wilson, Pete Carroll, and a budding Seahawks dynasty that was not meant to be.
Carroll was roundly criticized for his questionable play-calling in the wake of the loss.
So, too, was Wilson for making a poor decision on the throw. Lynch, meanwhile, coped in a manner most befitting for the man known as “Beast Mode.”
Marshawn Lynch’s Unique Coping Mechanism: 15 Cases of Hennessy
Lynch talked about his reaction in the aftermath of that play on actor/comedian Kevin Hart’s “Cold as Balls” show, per CBS Sports. The details he shared make it fair to wonder if his recollections are accurate.
Lynch said he dapped up Lenny Kravitz (one of that year’s halftime performers), grabbed a post-game shower, a bottle of Hennessy, and made his way to the afterparty with his family. Once there, Lynch’s favorite cognac flowed like water.
Marshawn Lynch turned Kevin Hart into the hood translator 😭 pic.twitter.com/iJQ0zh7sz5
— 👨🏾💻💫 (@lowlifejoe_) May 25, 2022
“So they had this little resort for us,” Lynch said. “I’m talking about, we blew that motherf—er down, I’m talking about the whole resort. Hennessy did some s–t for me. They probably gave me, I think it was 76 cases of Hennessy, and I think it was probably like 12 bottles in each case.”
If Lynch’s figures are accurate, that means he and his guests polished off 912 bottles of Hennessy. Unless those were airplane bottles, that is a boatload of imbibing. He took credit for approximately 20 percent of the total.
“How many cases I went through? I mean, realistically, probably had like 15 cases.”
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Again, if Lynch’s computations are accurate, that means he took down 180 bottles of Hennessy himself. Granted, he didn’t give an exact time frame in which this binge took place. He could well have taken several cases home for personal use. After all, he had a long offseason to smart over the goal-line carry he did not receive.
Marshawn's pregame superstition involved a shot of what?! 😂
Peyton's Places Season 2 is officially here: https://t.co/ZgRaYGb0JO pic.twitter.com/T1LSGH1Y5a
— ESPN (@espn) November 29, 2020
But then again, Lynch was known for marching to the beat of his own drum during his playing days. He famously revealed his propensity for pre-game shots of Hennessy during an interview with Peyton Manning a few years back.
A shot or two evidently served as ample fuel for Lynch during his playing days — he rushed for over 10,000 yards and 85 touchdowns in his career — but it took quite a bit more to satiate Lynch after he endured a letdown on the grandest stage.
It’s a good thing Lynch still has one Super Bowl victory to hang his hat on. Otherwise, we might be facing a nationwide Hennessy shortage.