The Sports Staff shared their favorite touchdown celebrations.

Zaria Flippin (Sports Editor): The Griddy

I love the game of football, but one of the most exciting aspects about the game are the touchdown celebrations players do in the end-zone.

My favorite touchdown celebration is the griddy. The first time I saw Justin Jefferson hit the griddy after a touchdown, that officially became my favorite touchdown celebration.

The griddy is one of the only touchdown celebrations that anyone can make their own due to the amount of creativity that can be included in the dance. Because this celebration is mostly a lower body dance, the creativity that can be used in the upper body makes it a surprise every-time.

Another aspect that makes this dance so interesting to me is the originator was a high schooler who went viral on TikTok on a what was just a regular day. Now, there are multiple NFL players that use this dance as a celebration after a touchdown.

Patrick Schmitz (Assistant Sports Editor): The Spike

The best touchdown celebration is the spike. This celebration is very simple but very good. Rob Gronkowski popularized it and did it the best, but many other players still do it today. 

After a touchdown many players do crazy dances or other crazy celebrations, but I like keeping it simple. A good spike goes a long way. 

The spike is mostly used by big men when they score, and who doesn’t like when a big lineman or tight end scores? They usually spike the ball to the moon, and that is always a fun sight to see. 

Even though mostly big men use the spike, anyone can do it. It is very simple, and any player can spike the ball. It is not only reserved for certain players. 

There might be other flashier moves that look cooler, but the spike will always be my favorite. 

Emerson Reynolds (Sports Reporter): Nothing

I am all for an insane celebration whether it’s a dominant Rob Gronkowski spike or Tyreek Hill doing a backflip, but there is one celebration that in my mind rules over all. Doing nothing, and no one does it like Barry Sanders.

Imagine, you are Robert Willams, a defensive back for the Dallas Cowboys in 1991 and it’s the Divisional round, you’re coming off your best season yet.

It’s one of the last plays of the game, the Lions hand it off to Barry Sanders, you go to tackle him and you just can’t, he just bounces off you. He goes on to score a 47-yard touchdown.

You’d expect a big celebration but no, one measly high five and a walk back to the bench. Imagine how soul crushing that has to feel.

This play is considered his best touchdown ever, capped off the Lions first playoff win ever, and he honestly couldn’t care.

I love my elaborate celebrations but the coldness of just doing nothing is unmatched.

Bryce Parker (Sports Reporter): Goal Post Dunk

I used to love watching this incorporation of two sports, with NFL players showing off their dunk contest moves.

However, the No Fun League ruined it like always after Jimmy Graham did one in 2013 and broke the goal post.

So, we’ll likely never see it again without a penalty in the NFL, but it was fun while it lasted.

The highlight reel dunks from WRs and TEs, and slam dunks from lineman were memories to last a lifetime.

Drew Farrell (Sports Reporter): Terrell Owens taking fan’s popcorn

Personally, my favorite touchdown celebration that I have ever witnessed was when Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens took a fan’s cup of popcorn and poured it through his face-mask in a game against the Green Bay Packers.

I thought this stood out because it was not the typical celebration of spiking the ball in the end zone, and I want to know how the fan felt about getting their popcorn taken and becoming such a popular meme to this day and fans to this day still say, “get your popcorn ready” when Owens is introduced.

Football followers know this is one of many of Owens’ notorious touchdown celebrations.

Gabe Newman (Sports Reporter): Eddie Jackson’s calisthenics

My favorite touchdown celebration is Eddie Jackson leading the Chicago Bears through calisthenics after his pick six against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving in 2018.

At face value, it was a very funny celebration because of how ridiculous it looked, getting the entire defense involved. It was also the cherry on top of one of my favorite plays in Bears history that I saw live.

Jackson jumped the route, made a clean catch, and had absolutely nobody around him when he scored.

Then to follow it up with calisthenics, it’s such a wonderful memory and one that I will cherish for as long as I am a football fan.

Payton Liggins (Sports Reporter): Head top and stiff hips

Personally my recent favorite touchdown celebration has been the “head top” dance or “stiff hips”.

Watching players dance is already funny, but specifically for the head top dance all the players put their whole body into it. With the “whip” part then the body rolls, the players execute it well.

I also love this dance, it originated from one song “I Just Got Back With My Ex” by Glorilla, and now this dance goes to every song played.

Now, with the dance stiff hips, watching anyone do this dance is funny. But, I truly believe the dance blew up in the sports world after Jason Kelce attempted to hit the stiff hips with Miles Sanders.

Watching the clip back Kelce truly didn’t know what he was doing and I think that made the dance better!

The dance stiff hips have turned into more, just like the griddy. Anytime you see someone do this specific dance they are adding a new move to it.

Aidan Cusack (Sports Reporter): Dirty Bird

There are a handful of NFL teams that could be crowned as the squad with the most aura. 

A few contenders instantly come to mind: the 85’ Chicago Bears make a great case, maybe even the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. 

Yet, I reckon the team with the most aura in NFL history has to go to the Atlanta Falcons of the 1990’s. 

This was a team that had MC Hammer on the sidelines, Deion on the field and of course, the Dirty Bird in the endzone. 

The Dirty Bird is the brainchild of Falcon running back Jamal Anderson in the 1998 season. The move is straight forward: The subject dips up and down while flapping their arms. It’s hype. 

The birds ended the 1998-99 season runners up, losing to the Denver Broncos 34-19 in the Super Bowl. 

Unfortunately, the Dirty Bird swiftly took air after the 20th century came to a close. 

The Sports Staff can be reached at 581-2812 or at densportsdesk@gmail.com.