During his sophomore season in 1968, Wright took to slamming the ball to the ground. All they remember is the dance. Explains What His Father Taught Him, Los Angeles Chargers Defensive Tackle Motivated By Wild Card Loss, never started the touchdown celebration trend, popularity grew even with his stats going down, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE. A. Elmo Wright at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner / National Football Foundation/Josh Hawkins, Video Highlights: The Game Of The Century, Game of the Century: #2 Houston upsets #1 UCLA, Cougars cant keep up with Canes as season comes to painful end, Sweet comeback! What are some popular services for dance studios? The infamous "Ickey Shuffle," as performed by Elbert Woods of the Cincinnati Bengals, occurred during the 1980s.Woods would punch-in short touchdown runs and follow them up with a hilarious dance that is made priceless by the size of Woods.The "Ickey Shuffle" is commonly copied in today's celebrations. Its something I did years ago.. Well, when my daughter graduated from Barnard and she walked across the stage, I felt like doing a little dance. Everybody was asking me what I was going to do. But Elmo was, quite possibly, the happiest man Ive ever interviewed. I'm older now, so I have a broader perspective. Even today, 50 years later, (the finger) still hurts.. There was no one else in front of me, so I kept high-stepping all the way to the end zone. While this was no comparison to the antics later displayed by such famed celebrators as Billy \"White Shoes\" Johnson, Ickey Woods or Terrell Owens, it was almost equally shocking at the time. He brought his talents to the NFL in 1971, and we are all the better for it. The history of controversial touchdown celebrations will be discussed today we will boot scootin boogie our way through the dances that set the stage for our touchdown tangos today. At UH, Wright was a three-time All-America selection from 1968-70, including a consensus choice as a senior. With the help of the same critical teammate, Woods was able to perfect his shuffle. Most people don't remember my college career, and I thought I had done quite well. Houston set an NCAA record in 1968 when its offense averaged 562 yards a game, beating the old record by 75 yards a game. Then there was Michael Irvin with the Zorro dance. Houston was playing a lot of teams in the South. During a professional career shortened by injuries, Wright caught only six touchdown passes. Wright earned all-state twice in his last two years of high school, and later all-American as a collegian when the entertainer surfaced again with the creation of the end-zone dance. Same, guys, same. Elmo Wright Father of End-Zone Dance Explains His Happy Feet, https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/13/sports/ncaafootball/father-of-endzone-dance-explains-his-happy-feet.html. I was in a bind, but I could run. People were booing me. Sep 03, 2016. Wikipedia I was just so excited. Elmo Wright Says Football Is Supposed to Be Fun Its clear neither football great has the best knee joint mobility these days. Wright had offers to play almost anywhere, a list that included about 50 schools, he once said, but the chance to play close to home and make a difference swayed him to attend UH. Ive had people tell me, Why do you dance? I said I cant imagine living life without having a reason to celebrate.. RIP Fred Lane we wish we could have seen more touchdown celebrations from you. Webdance, the people involved, and the events that result. - Slate He was sharp, and he was funny, and there was hardly a moment when one of us wasnt laughing at something he had just said. Its also the game where the end zone dance was born. Elmo Wright (2020) - Hall of Fame - National Football The Fun Bunch became a verb. Elmo Wright During his sophomore season in 1968, Wright took to slamming the ball to the ground. Elmo Wright, 1970, The first person with an end zone celebration dance.(Yes,. Jeff Balke I couldn't believe that people expected me to dance, but forgot what I had to do before that: catch the ball and score a touchdown. Early in the game, Wright caught a pass and avoided Tannen by high-stepping out of his grasp, then continued to high-step his way into the end zone. One group that wasnt open to being Fun Bunched was the NFL higher-ups. Conversely, Otis Taylor first had the great Chris Burford opposite him at WR for but 3 years, a fast but inconsistent Frank Pitts the next 3 (& Gloster Richardson occasionally) , then Elmo Wright (he of the td dance endzone owner of 6 in his entire 5-year mtier) until the end Otis career. He calls it in the huddle, you run out left, you see the defensive back lined up in front of you. His coach ignored his moves as long as he was in the end zone Wright felt supported to be both entertaining and talented. Episode 3: Elmo Wright - Sometimes You Just Gotta Dance Sports Connections with David Smale 29 subscribers Subscribe 12 Share 770 views 1 year ago All rights reserved. Elmo was living in Houston, having recently retired after working for Harris County for nearly three decades. On Tuesday night, Wright had cause for one more celebratory dance. I said, They got it!, Elmo laughed. While this was no comparison to the antics later displayed by such famed celebrators as Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, Ickey Woods or Terrell Owens, it was almost equally shocking at the time. His theatrical end-zone performances have included giving a football CPR, using a pylon as a golf club, proposing (fake) marriage to a cheerleader, and even doing the River Dance. Players use that in order to play well. He, like everyone else on this list, would get fined anyway. When, where and why did you start dancing in the end zone after scoring a touchdown? Elmo Wright Stats, News and Video - WR | NFL.com We consider Elmo Wright one of the finest two receivers in college football, Atlanta Falcons executive Tom Brantz said. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Football news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE. Football players have helmets, Wright says. Elmo expressed his joy through dance; they were always spontaneous reactions to the moment. Considered by many to be the inventor of the end zone dance, Wright is a member of the University of Houston Athletics Hall of Honor and the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame. It was entertainment., Wright is quick to point out that he was also a good wide receiver. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. (And I realize that not every end-zone flash mob draws an excessive celebration penalty.) Put yourself in a receivers shoes. Among all his accomplishments, Wright might be best known as the founding father of the touchdown dance, first introducing a high-stepping end zone celebration against Florida in the 1969 season opener. Yeoman shouted, Let him catch the ball! He came to the Houston Chronicle as part of an internship through the Sports Journalism Institute in 1995. No prolonged, excessive, or premeditated celebrations would be allowed by individuals or groups. Elmos dance was the only touchdown tango with no official name. I had no idea. January 30, 2018 An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. For many college football fans, Elmo Wright is known as the guy that invented the touchdown dance, but his career has much more significance than that. He became known for spiking the ball after a score, irking coaches and the NCAA so much so that they banned the practice before the 1969 season. WebOn November 18, 1973, wide receiver Elmo Wright scored a touchdown and became the first professional football player to dance in the end zone. I kept high-stepping going all the way to the end zone, and I went I got into the end zone, people were booing me. He started high-stepping a little faster, and people kept booingIf it wasnt for the booing, I probably wouldnt have acceleratedand a routine was born. Sammy Winder did the "Mississippi Mud Walk" maneuver in the 1980's (DenverBroncos QBClub/Twitter). Elmo Wright enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame While at the University of Houston, he became the first football player ever to perform an end zone dance.Wright was an All-American receiver for the Cougars and, somewhere during his collegiate career, he began the practice of \"high-stepping\" into the end zone at the end of long touchdown receptions. #FunkyChicken pic.twitter.com/jqQVtRFhtp, Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) January 27, 2016. Who is the "Father" of the End-Zone dance? Hall of Fame Comparison OTIS TAYLOR Who Did The First NFL Touchdown Celebration Dance?!? Thats stupid. Have you ever seen anything like that? asked Harry Buffington, the legendary head of National Football Scouting. I saw him do that and I almost fell out of my chair. Jane Austen and the Dance of Fidelity and Complaisance Wrights favorite practitioner of the art, he says, is former Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson, one of the players the NFL cited when banning celebrations back in 2006 (and who has paid thousands in penalties over his career). Red! and now he changes the pattern. According to the New York Times, the very first touchdown dance in NFL history is believed to be performed by Elmo Wright, who played for the Kansas City Chiefs.At 0:15, you will see Elmo Wright's famed touchdown celebration that started it all.The first dance allegedly occurred against the Houston Oilers in November of 1973.As you can see in the video, Wright was a staunch supporter of the spike, which still happens today. Elmo Wright It feels so good.. Wright becomes the fourth Houston Cougar to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, joining his former coach, Yeoman, along with quarterback Andre Ware and defensive tackle Wilson Whitley. I started high-stepping to get out of it. Endzone Dances by Bryanna Scalzo - Prezi Elmo Wright They didnt miss. This week, he said all he wanted to do was score touchdowns and celebrate them. Comedians were doing it, school aged children were doing it, youre parents probably did it. Wright was an AllAmerican receiver for the Cougars and, somewhere during his collegiate career, h Died: Herb Lusk II: Praying Tailback Who Gave Up Footbal. That earned him a 15-yard penalty. I was working on a magazine story about preening wide receivers. According to the New York Times, the very first touchdown dance in NFL history is believed to be performed by Elmo Wright, who played for the Kansas City In both NFL, and NCAA, excessive celebration, as well as taunting, are offenses that result in 15 yard penalties. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. I think about Elmo Wright whenever a player gets flagged for taunting or excessive celebration or flagrant joy or egregious capering, and I think about Elmo Wright whenever a broadcaster responds by harrumphing and jamming another large stick up his ass, which I guess means that I think about Elmo Wright a lot. During an era when Houston ranked among the nations leaders in rushing, Elmo Wright managed to leave his mark as a receiver, said Steve Hatchell, the NFF president and CEO. Elmo Wright Elmo Wright remembers the phone call, even if he might have believed it was a case of the wrong number. Every moment of joy would earn the team a 5-yard penalty. Elmo Wright was apparently the first person to dance in the end zone. One thing that got me: There was a doctorI think he was talking about something he had seen on TVdoing operations or medical work in poor countries. You wanna get treated like a superstar. He led the NCAA in touchdowns in 1969 and was an All-American in 1970 on one of the few integrated college teams in the South. and Fuck yes! Jones said at age 70 that he wished he had never started the touchdown celebration trend due to all of the dancing debauchery he has seen since. Just think about what the job is, he said. Wright recalls On the phone was Archie Manning, now the chairman of the College Football Hall of Fame. Growing up in Sweeny, Wright played the piano at his church and the saxophone from third to 10th grade. If youre good at it, you make the defensive back think youre going to the left, then you break right, and meanwhile the ball is on its way, and if you have the skill to catch the ball, you catch it, and once you catch it, you have to maneuver. Quarterback says, Red! She also enjoys writing about the history of football, and football affiliated true crime. Packers fans may also remember this infamous move pulled off by Randy Moss during the 2004 NFL playoffs. Friends encouraged him to find an alternative, and he did one TD when he was high-stepping his way to the touchdown. Dancing to the score NFL: The ballet of pro football begins once You don't have to be a sports fan to feel the emotions and celebration of a really good end zone dance. WebElmo Wright (born July 3, 1949) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Another was future NFL head coach Wade Phillips. That was The players selected went to Chicago for a weekend of photoshoots and enjoying life at the original Playboy Mansion. I trained very hard to get ready for that game. A few years ago, I spoke with Elmo by phone. When I saw my finger like this, there goes the saxophone, there goes the piano, there goes football, Wright said. In my sophomore year in college at Houston, I was throwing the ball down in the end zone. What did people search for similar to dance studios in Brea, CA? By Injuries would end up derailing Wrights NFL career. Q. Close on his heels, Billy White Shoes Johnsons wild touchdown dances popularized the practice. Previously, he wrote about the Houston Astros from 1998-2002, Houston Texans from 2002-05 and the Texas Longhorns from 2005-09. What are the best dance studios for kids? Wright saw things differently. AP file photo Elmo Wright led He was operating on a little babys fingerno more than an inch and a half long. The LA Rams took immediate offense to Marks moves and a brawl that lasted for minutes, with most players getting in on the action. Elmo has an incredible sense of humor about it all and decided to dance his way through the discrimination he enjoyed being an entertainer. The Astros gave four underdog pitchers a shot. | We are giving it for Elmo Wright former Kansas City Chief for his contribution to NFL culture in this You cant do stupid stuff. On November 18, 1973, wide receiver Elmo Wright scored a touchdown and became the first professional football player to dance in the end zone. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Type above and press Enter to search. These days, Wright says, he only dances occasionallymost recently at his daughters college graduation, and after learning his nephew had survived a health scare. Its more of a drum majors move, reallysomething you do while the marching band is murdering Earth, Wind & Fire. They had one more connection to make. But in the Roger Goodell era, pro football is slowly getting sapped of Elmos spirit, that exuberant mix of Fuck you! GoCoogs.com is not associated with, authorized, or endorsed by the University of Houston or UH Athletics. If you do all that, and you finally get into the end zoneis that not worth a celebration?. One of James Mayfield's teammates was receiver Elmo Wright, inventor of the end-zone dance. One of Mayfield's suitemates was Larry Gatlin, who became quite the singing star and who in 1968 scored the 13th of Houston's 14 touchdowns in a 100-6 rout of . The team and Ickey loved his dance so much that they would clear a large enough area on the sideline for him to shuffle to his hearts content. Dance Yes, Woods! Houstonia Magazine Elmo Wright Billy White Shoes Johnson was known for two things: his blindingly white shoes and his Funky Chicken touchdown dance. Elmo would be vilified as a showboat over his final two seasons at UH but kept putting up the scores. I started high-stepping to get out of it. Didnt know that would be the last time.. To make a long story short, on a little down-and-out pattern, I caught the ball and he dove at my feet. He brought his talents to the NFL in 1971, and we are all the better for it. Yeoman played a prominent role in the integration of college athletics in the South. Stagelight choreographs sweet dance routines perfect for little ones. They fined Ickey for his jubilance. It wasnt much, as dances go. If you can imagine 60,000 people cheering. Q. We tend now to think of former NFL players as grim figuresshattered old men limping and doddering arthritically through their emeritus years. Elmo Wright was a Years ago, I felt that way, that I had created a monster. 509 Olive Way, Suite 305, Seattle, WA 98101, Elmo Wright Says Football Is Supposed to Be Fun, Mattress Mack Puts Massive Sum of Money Where Mouth Is. In my mind, I know these guys are just having fun and that they know that come the next play, they better have their heads back in the game. And soon he wasnt the only one. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. Stroud: Analyzing two pro days, Q&A with Texans chairman Cal McNair on GM, new coach and draft, Entering 2nd season, Jeremy Pea a celeb who doesn't act like one. He dove at my feet, and I high-stepped to get away from him, and when I turned upfield, no one else was near me. : the end-zone dance. It's more of a celebration. How do you forget all the yards, all the touchdowns, all the records Wright piled up even as he played in Bill Yeomans Veer offense? If you want an article with more groovy gyrations of the 90s, such as the Dirty Bird sound off below! To make a long story short, on a little down-and-out pattern, I caught the ball and he dove at my feet. As the calendar turned toward a new decade, Chad Ochocinco gave way to another wide receiver diva in the field of touchdown celebrations.Steve Johnson of the Buffalo Bills has showcased numerous tactics that descended from Ochocinco, like the above "why so serious" shirt.Like Ochocinco, Johnson's wallet is a tad lighter as a result.As offenses are scoring more and more points because of defensive rule-changes in professional football, expect more of the same from the free-spirited scorers the NFL has to offer. Management didnt get it, he said. Im blown away with this, Wright, 72, said. It was the Civil Rights era, Elmo said. WebElmo Wright, Class: Induction: 2020 Sport(s): - Position: Wide Receiver Years: 1968-1970 Place of Birth: Brazoria, TX Date of Birth: July 3, 1949 Jersey Number: Elmo Wright, So I was a performer who became a football player, not a football player who became a performer. Date. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Anyone can read what you share. That's the consequence of this. Elmo is the only player in UH history to ever average more than 100 yards per game in his career (104.6) and over one TD per game (35 total touchdowns 1.09/game). Are you kidding me? Wright recalled this week at the National Football Foundation ceremony in Las Vegas. A family-friendly, neighborhood dance studio offering tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical and hip hop classes for all ages and levels. In the first game of the next season, Wright faced off against Steve Tannen, a Florida defensive back known for his trash-talking. I went back also to get my MBA. Bill Yeoman, the last time I saw him, I want yall to know, I was able to tell my coach I loved him. I was just so excited. Does that bother you in any way? In 1969, Elmo Wright, a junior receiver for the University of Houston, is believed to have invented the post-touchdown celebration. Horn scored in a prime-time game in 2003, and followed it up by pulling his cell phone out of the upright and making a call. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Dance in the End Zone What happened next wasnt a performanceat the beginning, anyway. Elmo Wright (born July 3, 1949) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). In that game, the season opener for both teams, Elmo caught six passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns against Tannen. Just last week Texans GM Nick Caserio was deflecting rumors of a possible departure. When people are celebrating, they do a little dance. DeSean Jackson got himself and his Eagles in some trouble. Follow us on Twitter at @GridironHeroics for more great content. Elmo Wright is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Ive had people tell me, why do you dance? I said I cant imagine living in life without having a reason to celebrate. University of Houston receiving great Elmo Wright high-steps past a defender in a 1969 game against Florida State. A choreography was developed, and another cultural sensation was born. The History of Controversial Touchdown Celebrations today? Jessica Lodge and Shelby Stewart, 02/02/2023 Wanting to do a dance is an inducement and a motivation to train harder and focus. All they remember is the dance. Recent on-field antics have included a simulated 100-meter relay; rousing games of Leap Frog and Hide-and-Seek; a potato sack race; and, yes, Duck, Duck, Goose. Whatever it was, people didnt like it, and I would imagine the response at the time wasnt all that much different from the NBC broadcast crews response to DeSean Jacksons taunting penalty against the Giants, which was as follows: Collinsworth: You know you wanna get paid. He didnt play football until his junior year in high school, after a football accident took him away from the band and to the football field. To me, back then, scoring touchdowns its what it was, Elmo remarked with a smile. Wright had a memorable incident with another player on the team, Floridas Steven Tannen.
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