San Francisco 49ers
Feb 3, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Former wide receiver Terrell Owens on radio row at the George R. Brown Convention Center in preparation for Super Bowl LI. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco 49ers have seen some great touchdown celebrations, and with the NFL finally loosening the rules, it's time to honor the best in team history.
The NFL simply got it wrong in regards to touchdown celebrations prior to the recent loosening of the rules. Did the NFL need to put in place some control over touchdown celebrations? Yes, some celebrations had become disrespectful. For example, former San Francisco 49ers great Terrell Owens certainly did his part to bring on stricter rules.
During a game against the Dallas Cowboys, Owens decided to disrespect the Cowboys and entire fanbase when after scoring a touchdown he ran past the officials to the Cowboys run 50-yard line.
Once there, TO stood right on the Cowboys iconic star while stretching his arms out to the sky in a gesture that can only be taken as disrespectful and arrogance:
This form of "celebration" should have been restricted. It is one thing for a player to disrespect another player, or even perhaps call out another team. It is a whole another issue to disrespect the fanbase.
Thankfully, TO — ever the showman — provides us another example of how you can celebrate in a way that you can get fans excited but also call out another team's player. He demonstrated this perfectly by doing former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis' pregame dance below:
While Owens gets a bad rap for being "Team Obliterator", he was definitely an elite wide receiver with fantastic touchdown celebrations. He could have his own top five list for touchdown celebrations. But where is he one this list?
The criteria for this list were simple. Celebrations needed to be memorable, fun, creative and inspiring. So with that, let's celebrate the NFL's liberating rules on touchdown celebrations and the return of 49ers touchdown showmanship.
5. Vernon Davis' Epic Fail
Starting off this top-five list is former San Francisco 49ers and current Washington Redskins tight end Vernon Davis. Davis was an amazing tight end for the 49ers ending his stint with the Red and Gold with 5,640 receiving yards on 441 catches and 55 touchdowns.
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Davis certainly has his place in the hearts of many 49ers fans. He had been a part of some of bad 49ers teams, but has also been an integral part of a dominant 49ers team that came within five yards of winning the Super Bowl.
No matter how legendary Davis is and will always be, however, the tight end will forever be known for his "epic-fail" touchdown celebration. In an effort to show off his elite athleticism, Davis attempted to dunk the football over the crossbar on the goalposts to only be rejected brutally. It was as if the spirit of Dikembe Mutombo came down and inhabited the crossbar. It was so embarrassingly bad that he modified his celebration to a free throw.
While this celebration certainly lacks creativity and inspiration, it continues to be memorable and hilariously fun placing it No. 5 on our list
Statistics provided courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
4. Kaepernicking
There was a time not long ago that Colin Kaepernick was running rough shot all over the NFL as the former starting quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers. That time, of course, came during those stacked Harbaugh-led teams.
During that time frame, the 49ers were the NFC's premier playoff contender seemingly poised to make a run for the Super Bowl every season. Kaepernick himself was a major part for getting the team deep into the playoffs.
His dual-threat ability made it extremely difficult for opposing defenses to stop. Eventually, defensive coordinators figured out ways to defend against him. This, plus his declining passing skills, eventually led the front office to letting him go this offseason.
Nonetheless, during those Harbaugh years, Kaepernick introduced to fans the touchdown celebration known as "Kaepernicking". Kaepernicking is as easy flexing your right bicep and giving it a kiss with extreme pride. This simple gesture seems arrogant without the proper context. When Kaepernick took over as the starting quarterback, there was some social noise over his appearance.
He is a bi-racial American who has arms with full-sleeve tattoos. His looks, in particular his tattoos, countered everything that many had come to expect from starting NFL quarterbacks. Starting quarterbacks had become expected to be clean-cut, well-spoken individuals that resemble the majority.
After so much had been said about his looks, Kaepernick answered the criticism by kissing his tattoos. Showing the world that he loves himself amongst all the hate. Instead of wilting from the hatred, he used it as fuel. This led to teammates, fans and many others to start Kaepernicking. While this touchdown celebration also lacks creativity, it was a memorable, fun and inspiring celebration at that time placing it No. 4 on our list.
3. Ken Norton Jr.'s Heavyweight Champ
Entering at No. 3 on our list Ken Norton Jr.'s rendition of the heavyweight champ. In fact, he is the son of Ken Norton Sr., who was a heavyweight champ. Norton Sr. is best known for his trilogy with Muhammad Ali, in which he won the first but lost the last two in close fashion.
Nonetheless, Ken Norton Sr. was known as a ferocious boxer who hit like a Mack truck especially to the body. So in a special homage to his father, Norton Jr. made a point to punish the goal post by imitating his father's devastating body blows.
By doing so, it elevated the 49ers defense tenacity while also getting fans pumped up. It's one thing to have a celebration that is exciting, which Norton Jr.'s certainly was. However, the bit of personal flavor that's involved with it given his father's history makes it a bit more memorable and, frankly, special.
For this memorable, fun, creative and inspiring touchdown celebration, Ken Norton Jr.'s The Heavyweight Champ makes it to No. 3.
2. T.O.'s Sharpie
Love him or hate him, two things were certain when it came to Terrell Owens: He was going to ball out on the field and when he scored, you'd better get ya' some popcorn ready.
Owen came very close to topping this list as he came up with some of the NFL's most entertaining touchdown celebrations. One such celebration which will live on in NFL lore will be "The Sharpie". TO pre-planned his celebration by using a sharpie as both a tool and visual aid for his celebration. As the story goes, TO knew he was going to get his number called for long pass which had the potential for him to breakaway for a touchdown.
On that play, he went to the sideline for what appeared to be a quick splash of water. While he did get some water, he also retrieved a sharpie which he tucked into his sock. On the ensuing play, as Owens predicted, he broke away for a long touchdown.
Once in the end zone, with all lights and cameras on him, he busted out the sharpie and signed the football with the requisite swagger of a football icon. This celebration has and continues to live in infamy.
While this celebration certainly received perfect scores in the categories of memorable, creative and fun. It fell just short of a perfect inspiring score. Which brings us to our last touchdown celebration.
1. Merton Hanks' Chicken Head Dance
When it comes to touchdown celebrations, you have those that simply do not die. From the Icky Shuffle to The Worm, most celebrations have no real rhyme or reason. They just come from within, from the soul. In truth, that's where the iconic dances and celebrations result from, not from pre-planned moments.
Scoring a touchdown is the culmination of, not only one man's hard work for the past week, but for the past year. It is such a joyous feeling to stand in the end zone, seeing your teammates running towards you to congratulate you, hearing the crown cheer in a booming roar, often players break out in overwhelming, emotional body movements.
This is the only way to describe what Merton Hanks' the Chicken Head Dance is all about. Needless to say, Hanks celebration nailed a perfect score per the grading criteria. His dance, accentuated by his unnaturally long neck, has been a 49ers fan favorite for years.
Here's to hoping one brave 49ers player brings it back this year. Here's looking at you Rashard Robinson!
