Before strapping on the pads and applying the eye black, before his head hits the pillow around 10 p.m. for a long night of slumber, before even the Vikings' final walk-through every Saturday morning, Harrison Smith starts his preparation for his mentally draining and physically punishing Sunday afternoons with a doughnut.
The hard-hitting Pro Bowl free safety prefers a no-frills glazed croissant.
"It's kind of like the first step," Smith said. "You've done most of your work and you're starting to gear up for the game. You know it's almost time to play."
At around 7:45 Saturday morning, nearly 28 hours before the undefeated Vikings play the Houston Texans at U.