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Marshawn Lynch is one of the most entertaining people to ever play in the NFL, and the running back’s ability to amuse off of the field is only rivaled by his tendency to awe fans with what he was able to do on the gridiron by going into “Beast Mode”—a nickname that’s now been immortalized by the folks at Merrian-Webster.
Beast Mode is one of those monikers that doesn’t really require an explanation, although Lynch once attempted to sum up the essence of that mentality by saying:
“I feel like on that field, there’s no reason I can’t run through you. I know I’m gonna get got, but I’m going to get mine more than I get got.”
It’s not entirely clear who coined the term in the first place. There was some speculation former NBA player Leon Powe (who attended Oakland Technical High School and Cal with Lynch) was the person who dreamed it up, and while he’s acknowledged he repeatedly referred to the RB as a “beast” in their younger years, he denies he was the person who actually coined “Beast Mode.”
While the origins may be murky, the staying power and widespread adoption of the descriptor is impossible to deny, and according to The New York Daily News, Lynch has added yet another tally to his legacy point total now that Merriam-Webster has included “beast mode” in the group of 690 new words and phrases that are being added to the newest edition of the dictionary.
The new additions feature some other sports-related terms including “bracketology” and “GOATed” as well as “thirst trap,” “chef’s kiss,” and some other newcomers that were popularized with the help of the internet.
Congratulations to Marshawn Lynch for adding yet another achievement to his already impressive résumé. The man can really do it all.