Nothing gets the blood flowing quite like an early-1980s bop.
And few are as memorable as In the Air Tonight, the debut solo single of longtime Genesis drummer Phil Collins. The powerful pop tune—which features an iconic mid-song drum breakdown—is a song synonymous with its decade, its distinct sound, structure, and lyrics allowing it to remain resonant even today.
It’s a tune that’s certainly resonated with Buffalo Bills defensive end Von Miller, who listens to the song in the moments leading up to each game in which he laces up a pair of cleats. While speaking to OT7 at his recent sack summit in Las Vegas, the 35-year-old stated that listening to the song is his pregame superstition.
“I’ve got to listen to Phil Collins’ In The Air Tonight,” Miller said. “I have to listen to that song before every game.”
Miller also discusses his signature triangle hairstyle and his experience earning Super Bowl MVP honors in Super Bowl 50 in the short clip. You can watch the full video below:
We can’t blame Miller for listening to In the Air Tonight before every game—it’s a banger. The chorus and instrumental breakdowns are also quite energizing and inspiring—we can see how it would easily propel a pass-rusher to go out and produce at a high level (the rest of the lyrics, not so much).
The song didn’t breed great production out of Miller in the 2023 season, as he totaled just three tackles and zero sacks after coming back from a November 2022 ACL tear in Week 5. His recent production (or lack thereof) has prompted many around the league to question if Miller still has tread on the tire, something that has the NFL’s active-all-time sack leader “a little bit angry;” he recently told Sports Illustrated that he “shouldn’t have even been playing” last season.
He’s eager to prove his doubters wrong and rebound in the 2024 season, something Buffalo’s brass is confident he can do; head coach Sean McDermott recently stated during a podcast appearance that “You never count a player or person like Von Miller out.”
The Buffalo faithful would happily welcome a Miller bounce back, as they’ve been waiting for this moment for all their lives… or, at least since 2022.