The ritual started in college. Now, it has carried over to the professional level. Every Sunday morning, Cory Harkey calls his dad.
He used to do it on Saturdays, when he was playing football at UCLA. He still does it, except the day of the week has changed, as has his uniform.
"That's just my pregame ritual," Cory said. "I always call my dad when I'm on the bus. He gives me a pep talk: 'Go out there, have fun, be safe and play your butt off.'"
The conversations are brief, two or three minutes. Both Cory and his dad, Mike Harkey, have work to do.