Focus, even when you can’t

BLOOMINGTON, MINN. — Malcolm Butler will scribble himself a couple quick notes and stick them to the back of the hotel room door so he gets the message before facing the noise.

“LOCK IN,” one says. “NOTHING ELSE MATTERS BUT THIS GAME,” the other note reads.

Now navigating through the third Super Bowl week of his career, the New England Patriots cornerback knows what to do. But reminders don’t hurt.

NFL players tend to be regimented creatures. They often script their routines by the day, hour and, sometimes, the minute. Meals, workouts, meetings, practices, treatment sessions, rest periods — all unfold with purpose, and sticking to that program helps ensure optimal performance and success.

Ironically, the most important game of the year comes at the tail end of a week that borders on chaos.

New surroundings. New bed. New time zone. Makeshift team headquarters. New meeting rooms. New practice facility. Bus rides to those facilities and back. Different food. Different weight room. Extra media obligations. Lights flashing. Travel logistics for the family and friends. The list goes on.

Dealing with the extracurriculars reinforces that preparation for the Super Bowl has both a mental and physical element

“Your mind will be racing 100 m.p.h. about a lot of things,” Butler said. “But over the years, I’ve learned to control that by locking in and just worrying about what’s important, and that’s the game. ... Nothing else can come between your preparation. You have to handle all the other stuff, or let someone else handle that so you can have nothing but a clean mind and focus on the game.”

Every Super Bowl city features plenty of distractions. This week, player hotels are connected to the Mall of America, which offers a slew of shopping, eating and entertainment options. Although they’ll feel tugs from all directions during this experience of a lifetime, the New England Patriots and their Philadelphia Eagles counterparts aim for balance.

Coaching staffs do their best to help maintain a sense of normalcy. Bill Belichick and the Patriots have been through this seven previous times. Now in their third Super Bowl in four seasons, many of their players have experience in this area as well.

Eagles coach Doug Pederson went through this kind of setup 20 years ago as Brett Favre’s backup in Super Bowl XXXI. He, too, has tried to schedule meetings and practices just like he did all season long.

But he also has tried to prep his players for the changes they’ll encounter on game day. On Wednesday, Pederson had the Eagles take a 30-minute break to simulate the longer-than-usual halftime break that Sunday’s game will feature.

At the same time, it’s important to cherish the moment, other veterans say.

“Enjoy it. We deserve it,” Eagles safety Rodney McLeod said.

“We never know when we’ll be in this position again.”