NFL draft prospects told us how they plan to celebrate touchdowns in the pros

INDIANAPOLIS — It isn’t easy to get into the end zone in the NFL, so when a player does score a touchdown, it’s only natural that they should get to celebrate. In the recent past, those dances have been costly, with referees throwing flags and the league assessing fines.

But the wide receivers and tight ends in this year’s draft may enter an NFL with looser restrictions on dances and gyrations players can do after they score. They’re looking forward to taking advantage of it.

Mississippi State wide receiver Fred Ross is relived to see the league move in that direction.

“They do need to relax, because I like dancing, and especially when you score, because it’s hard to score,” Ross said. “So I definitely feel like they should let players just express themselves when they score, because it’s so hard to score in the NFL.

“I feel like they just need to cool out a little bit and just relax and just let players do what they want to do.”

These prospects have been going nonstop since before their final college season, and combine preparation has been all-consuming. Many players, including Washington tight end Darrell Daniels, haven’t had time to even think about making concrete celebration plans.

“We weren’t allowed to celebrate in high school or college, so I really don’t know yet,” Daniels said. “Whenever that comes, I’ll think of something.”

Players had a wide range of ideas on how they might behave after scoring. Some are subtle, some are intense, and some are just fun.

Every time a team scores, it’s a result of the effort of all 11 players on the field at that time. It’s only natural that players would want to share the joy of a score with their teammates.

“I’ll celebrate with my team, especially the O-linemen,” Nebraska tight end Cethan Carter said. “They never score, or rarely score, so celebrate with them. They’re out there protecting us, blocking for us, so definitely going to celebrate with them.”

Drake tight end Eric Saubert agreed.

“Usually I celebrate with teammates,” he said. “That’s how we were coached at Drake, so I would probably find a teammate, do that type of thing.”

The Atlanta Falcons took this approach last season. Falcons offensive players routinely handed the ball over to linemen after touchdowns so they could spike it.

A few players weren’t interested in flashy moves to celebrate touchdowns.

“Never really thought about putting the spotlight on me at all,” said Arkansas wide receiver Drew Morgan. “I wear this bracelet around my wrist, ‘Give God Glory,’ so every time it’s, all him. That’s the only celebration I’ll ever do.”

During his college career, Florida State’s Bobo Wilson focused on thanking God after touchdowns, but he may shake it up at the next level.

“I’d just get on a knee and thank God for this opportunity, and I’m blessed to be in that situation at that moment,” Wilson said. “But I like to have fun. I see everybody in the NFL has dances after touchdowns, so there’s no telling.”

Wilson’s teammate, Kermit Whitfield, also avoided elaborate displays in college.

“No, I just kept it simple,” Whitfield said. “I just saluted.”

Georgia’s Isaiah McKenzie was businesslike after scores in college, but he may branch out in the NFL.

“I’d just drop the ball and just walk away (in college),” McKenzie said. “But I’ll be planning on celebrating a little bit more if I score a touchdown in that role. It’s not easy to score.”

Texas A&M’s Ricky Seals-Jones hasn’t had time to think about celebrating, but he’ll probably do something spontaneous, anyway.

“I haven’t thought about that. I think it’ll be on the spot,” Seals-Jones said. “So right now I’m just worried about the combine.”

James Quick, a wide receiver out of Louisville, doesn’t know exactly what he’ll do after a touchdown, but he knows he’ll dance.

“Well, I like to dance, so I’ll probably do anything when I score, if I’m able to get that opportunity to go score a touchdown,” Quick said. “I’ll probably just have a little fun and do a little dance or something.”

For USC wide receiver Darreus Rogers, coming up with something on the fly is his style.

“I’m the type of person, if I score a touchdown, if I think about something I won’t remember, so I’ll try to do something right on the spot,” Rogers said. “I’m not the type of person that goes home and practices, but if I do practice, I’ll just make sure it’s going to be something special.”

Some players had at least some idea about how they might express themselves after a score.

“First of all, I had a thing I’d do in college, I’d kind of brush my chest off, so I’m going to do that,” Ross said. “And then afterwards, there’s no telling what I’m going to do. I’m going to do some type of dance. I don’t know yet. Whatever the new trends are.”

Here’s hoping Connecticut’s Noel Thomas gets into the end zone regularly, because he’s going to be fun to watch.

“Hopefully my first one will be maybe the Jordan shrug, and then I’d throw the hit dem folk,” Thomas said.

Thomas will join the likes of Odell Beckham Jr. and Cam Newton, both of whom have hit dem folk after touchdowns.

Sometimes you’ve just got to be about that business, boss. That’s the case for A&M’s Speedy Noil. It’s not his style to draw attention to himself after a touchdown.

“My job is not about celebrating. It’s about worrying about the next series, next drive,” Noil said. “Guys who dance, they earned it. They deserve it. That’s their job. But I didn’t do too much celebrating when I was in college.”

Noil did recall one particular celebration, and it was intense.

“Maybe one celebration where I cut a guy’s throat. It means I’m taking (his) soul from him,” Noil said. “I mean, I’m not big on celebration and dancing. I’m about handling business.”

Even if the league relaxes the rules about touchdown celebrations, they’re likely to still flag anyone who does the throat slash after a touchdown. Michael Crabtree was even flagged last season for touching his shoulder after a touchdown, because officials thought he was miming a throat slash.

UTEP tight end Hayden Plinke said he would probably keep post-touchdown antics to a minimum, unless he gets drafted by the Green Bay Packers.

“I feel like you’ve got to act like you’ve been there before and be professional about it,” Plinke said. “Unless I play for Green Bay. I’m definitely Lambeau Leaping it. Have to.”

Even if the league doesn’t ease up on penalties for celebrations, Plinke would be perfectly fine to Lambeau Leap. The NFL has made an exception for it and doesn’t penalize players who do it.

Shelton Gibson, a wide receiver out of West Virginia, said his views on touchdown dances had shifted after a meeting with a particular team during the combine.

“Well, after talking to the Patriots yesterday, I feel like I just need to give the ball up,” Gibson said.

Bill Belichick surely agrees.