C.J. Uzomah, Cincinnati Bengals. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
Cincinnati Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah did the Ickey Shuffle after scoring the playoff touchdown of the postseason.
C.J. Uzomah celebrates the first touchdown of the 2021 AFC playoffs by hitting the Ickey Shuffle in front of the raucous Cincinnati Bengals crowd.
Cincinnati marched down the field on its first offensive possession of the AFC Wild Card Game vs. the Las Vegas Raiders. Down 3-0, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow found Cincinnati’s emerging star tight end at the front of the goal line for six. As everybody and their brother outside of Raider Nation was hoping for, Uzomah partied like it was 1988 by hitting the Ickey Shuffle in Cincinnati.
This is the first time the Bengals have been in the AFC playoffs since the 2015 NFL season.
Cincinnati Bengals TE C.J. Uzomah does the Ickey Shuffle after hitting pay dirt
The celebration first rose to national prominence during the 1988 AFC Championship season for the Bengals. It is named after the rookie running back Ickey Woods, who would do a little dance after scoring touchdowns. He rushed for 1,066 yards and 15 touchdowns in his rookie season out of UNLV. However, he tore his ACL in the second game of the following year, shortening his career.
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Even though Woods only played for the Bengals for four seasons, he is a massive part of their cultural lore. For Uzomah to celebrate a Bengals icon who was at the peak of his powers five years before he was born, it just shows the lasting impact Woods had on the Queen City during his brief, but unforgettable NFL career. A GEICO commercial featuring cold cuts helped bring this back to life.
The Ickey Shuffle is as iconic as the Lambeau Leap in Green Bay and the Dirty Bird in Atlanta.