Ickey Shuffle

The Ickey Shuffle is a touchdown celebration created by Cincinnati Bengals fullback Elbert "Ickey" Woods. After scoring, Woods would shuffle right while holding the ball to his right, then shuffle left while holding the ball to his left, and finish with three hops to the right before spiking the ball. He first performed the polished version on October 10, 1988, after scoring against the New York Jets. The dance prompted the NFL to create an "Excessive Celebration" rule, making such moves subject to a penalty. Despite concerns that it might be banned under rules against planned celebrations, the league investigated and allowed it.

The dance originated after Woods told his mother before a September 25, 1988, game against the Cleveland Browns that he would dance if he scored. He did a simple, step-free version after that touchdown, but teammate Rick Dixon criticized its quality, so Woods added steps. He then debuted the full shuffle during the Jets game, performing it after each of his two touchdowns.

The Ickey Shuffle has appeared in mainstream media. In 2014, GEICO aired a commercial featuring Woods doing the dance in a supermarket after his ticket number "44" was called. GEICO also filmed additional short clips of Woods performing the shuffle for scenarios like "Awkward" and "Game Over." The dance appears in the How I Met Your Mother episode "Return of the Shirt," performed by Barney Stinson. NASCAR driver Darrell Waltrip did the shuffle in victory lane after winning the 1989 Daytona 500. Woods has said most of his earnings from the dance's popularity, including the GEICO commercial, go to the Jovante Woods Foundation, which funds asthma research. The name "Ickey Shuffle" also refers to a common speed and agility drill that uses lateral rhythmic footwork similar to the dance, often performed with a speed ladder or cones.