DG162

"Act like you've been there before" ..... "Just hand the ball to the ref" ..... "Don't do anything to draw attention to yourself" ..... I'm sure you've heard those words over and over - coming out of the mouths of the haters of fun in football. Don't worry; you're not likely to ever hear them coming out of my mouth. Football is a very tough and emotional game; and when you make a play that helps your team win, emotions should be expressed, not suppressed. I don't know about you, but I love watching football players celebrate (and occasionally making fools of themselves). Just as long as you don't do it up in the face of your opponent, because then it's taunting not celebrating.

When talking about the NFL, some people jokingly say that the letters "NFL" stand for "No Fun League"; and that's true in some instances. But for the most part in the NFL, if you want to celebrate, you can; and unless you go a bit too far over the top (talking about you, Antonio Brown), you won't get penalized for it. By now you've probably figured out the theme for dread gallery #162 is "Celebrate". Here's a look at how some of the NFL's players with dreads did it during the 2015 season.

1. RB Chris Johnson gives thanks after scoring his 1st TD in a Cardinals uniform on a 6-yard run, upping Arizona's lead to 21-0 over the 49ers on the first play of 2nd quarter during Week 3. After he scored a career low 2 TD with the N.Y. Jets in 2014 and was told not to bother to come back for the 2nd year of his 2-year contract with them, it looked like Johnson's streak of scoring at least one TD in 7 straight seasons might be over. But after signing with the Cardinals halfway through the preseason, he went on to have a productive season, scoring 3 TD, before going on IR after breaking a bone in his leg (the first serious injury of his career) in Week 12.
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2. RB Boobie Dixon does a little dance after his 1-yard TD run increases the Bills lead to 24-0 over the Colts during 3rd quarter of the season opener. After scoring exactly 2 TD in each of his first 5 NFL season, this turned out to be his only TD of 2015.
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3. S Charles Godfrey lets it out after an incomplete pass by QB Cam Newton on 4th and 5 with 1:48 remaining in 4th quarter at Atlanta in Week 16, seemingly clinching the Falcons upset of the Panthers. But even though the Panthers had only one timeout left, the Falcons, leading 17-13, inexplicably were able to take only 18 seconds off the clock on their ensuing possession. Fortunately though, after the Panthers got the ball back with 1:30 to play, the Falcons' defense held again, and the Falcons won 20-13. Godfrey, who was with the Panthers for the first 6 seasons of his career before being released midway through his 7th season in 2014 and ending up with the Falcons, was all too happy to help hand his old teammates their 1st and only defeat during the regular season. Charles re-signed with the Falcons during the offseason but retired just before training camp began, finishing his career with 11 INT.
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4. LB Courtney Upshaw is all smiles after K Josh Scobee (#8) misses a 41-yard FG attempt, keeping the Ravens only 3 points behind the Steelers with 1:01 remaining in 4th quarter at Heinz Field on Thursday night in Week 4. Ravens tied the game with 3 seconds to go then won in overtime 23-20; and Scobee, whose poor kicking also had contributed to the Steelers' loss in Week 1, was looking for a new job two days later. .

5. It's been a Thanksgiving tradition since ..... well, only for a couple of years. Lions Pro Bowl DE Ziggy Ansah breaks out his turkey dance to celebrate his strip-sack and FR during 3rd quarter of the Lions 45-14 victory over the Eagles in Week 12. It was Ansah's 3rd sack of the game, and he finished the afternoon with a career high 3.5 sacks in only 30 defensive snaps.
http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015/11/26/9805022/ziggy-ansah-turkey-dance-sack-nfl-thanksgiving
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6. Dolphins RB Lamar Miller gains 7 yards on the play; but since it was 3rd and 15, Chargers S Jahleel Addae is feeling pretty good after making his 1st tackle of the day at the Miami 18-yard line midway through 2nd quarter in Week 15. Addae finished with 3 tackles (3-0) as the Chargers won 30-14 to snap their 5-game home losing streak.
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7. This time Jahleel Addae demonstrates the NCAA-approved method of celebrating with your teammate, in this case CB Jason Verrett, after a play during the Chargers' Monday night 24-20 loss to the Steelers in Week 5. Maybe S Eric Weddle thinks Verrett's dreads contain some sort of super powers. Why else would he be patting him on his dreads instead of on his head, shoulder, or back?
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8. Broncos S Omar Bolden comes off the bench to congratulate S David Bruton after Bruton's interception at the Denver 31-yard line keeps the Browns from getting into FG range and gives the Broncos' offense one last chance with 44 seconds remaining in 4th quarter and the game tied at 23 in Week 6. Broncos went on to win 26-23 in OT to improve to 6-0. It was Bruton's 2nd and last INT of the season and only the 3rd of his career. After 7 seasons with the Broncos, he signed with the Redskins as a free agent. Bolden, also a free agent, signed with the Bears but was let go just before the start of training camp and hasn't signed with anyone else yet.
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9. Bills LB Randell Johnson celebrates his recovery of a muffed punt by Colts WR Phillip Dorsett alongside LB Manny Lawson (#91), CB Ron Brooks (#33) and TE MarQueis Gray (#48) with 9:44 remaining in 4th quarter in Week 1. Bills kicked a FG 4 plays later to increase their lead to 27-8 and went on to win 27-14. Unfortunately Randell did not make the team this year; and Brooks (Eagles) and Gray (Dolphins) are gone too.
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10. Just like Randell Johnson, Chiefs CB Jamell Fleming got his only FR of the season on a muffed punt, during 4th quarter of a 33-3 road win over the Chargers in Week 11, as the Chiefs improved to 5-5 after a 1-5 start. Also enjoying Fleming's play is S Ron Parker. Unfortunately Jamell, just like Johnson, is currently looking for a job after being released at the end of the preseason.
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11. Lions CB Rashean Mathis celebrates for the last time in his career after intercepting a pass, joined by CB Darius Slay, after picking off Bears QB Jay Cutler in the end zone during 3rd quarter in Week 6. Mathis' only INT of the season helped the Lions get their 1st win of the season, 37-34 in OT.
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12. After WR Lucky Whitehead's 18-yard punt return (his longest of the season to that point) plus a personal foul on the punter making the tackle sets up the Cowboys in great field possession at the 21-yard line early in 4th quarter in Week 11, the rookie speedster gets a hug from LB Kyle Wilber. 7 plays later the Cowboys kicked a FG for the final points of a 24-14 road win over the Dolphins that ended their 7-game losing streak.
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13. CB Bradley Roby is joined by S David Bruton and most of the rest of the Broncos' defense after his 21-yard scoop and score of a fumble by Chiefs' RB Jamaal Charles with 27 seconds to play gives the Broncos a big 31-24 win at Kansas City on Thursday night in Week 2. Ugh.
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14. Any undrafted rookie WR would be thrilled after making his 1st NFL reception, but especially so was Donteea Dye - because his 1st catch was a TD catch. Dye gets a lift from fellow WR Vincent Jackson after his 7-yard TD on 3rd and 1 increases the Buccaneers' lead to 17-0 over Washington during 2nd quarter in Week 7. Unfortunately for Donteea, the Redskins, after falling even further behind at 24-0, came roaring back to win 31-30. This turned out to be the only TD of the season for Dye; and it looks like it's going to be a while before he scores another. After he suffered a hamstring injury in the 3rd preseason game this season, he was released by the Bucs. Hopefully once he gets healthy he'll be signed by somebody.
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15. CB Richard Sherman seems to be even happier than WR Doug Baldwin after Baldwin scores his 3rd TD of the game - four plays after Sherman's INT gave the Seahawks the ball at the Ravens' 38-yard line during 4th quarter in Week 14. The 16-yard TD catch were the final points of a 35-6 victory, as the Seahawks improved to 4-3 on the road (after starting 0-3).
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16. CB Adam Jones, inactive due to a foot injury, congratulates WR A.J. Green after his 66-yard TD catch gets the Bengals on the board, cutting the Steelers' lead to 13-7 midway through 2nd quarter at Cincinnati in Week 14. Elsewhere on the sideline .....
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17. ..... Green's TD came on a pass from QB A.J. McCarron, who entered the game earlier in the 2nd quarter after starter Andy Dalton left with an injury; and CB Dre Kirkpatrick excitedly congratulates his former college teammate (Alabama) on his 1st career TD pass. But despite McCarron passing for 280 yards and 2 TD, Bengals fell to the Steelers 33-20 to drop to 10-3. 
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A LITTLE DAB'LL DO YA

When Dwayne Harris dabs to celebrate his 1st career TD catch (2nd TD overall) in 2012 (photo on right), nobody knows what it is (including me), and nobody cares. But when superstar QB Cam Newton starts doing the dab to celebrate his success in 2015, it becomes all the rage. Everybody has to know ..... "What's that?" ..... "What is he doing?" ..... "What's that called?" ..... And before you know it, the dab becomes football's most popular celebration for the 2015 season. Here are a few shots of the way it went when some players with dreads sang, "Look at my dab."

18. Dre Kirkpatrick, with his dreads reduced as usual, celebrates after one of his 3 PBU against the Rams in Week 12. He also led the Bengals with a season high 10 tackles (9-1) in the game, which the Bengals won easily 31-7.
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19. Also in Week 12 rookie WR Kaelin Clay still has the ball while doing his dab after scoring his 1st NFL TD on an 82-yard punt return to give the Ravens a 7-0 lead in 1st quarter of their 33-27 road win over the Browns on Monday night.
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20. Yes, even 346-pound DT Dontari Poe gets in on the fun, not passing up his chance to dab after opening the scoring with a 1-yard TD plunge in 1st quarter of the Chiefs' easy 33-3 win at San Diego in Week 11.
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21. Wearing the Rams' color rush uniform on Thursday night in Week 15, RB Todd Gurley celebrates after his 3-yard TD run ups the Rams' lead over Tampa Bay to 21-3 late in 2nd quarter. He finished with just 48 yards rushing on 21 carries along with 2 catches for 31 yards in the Rams' 31-23 victory in their final home game in St. Louis.
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22. Yes, Dwayne Harris is still doing the dab to celebrate his touchdowns - continuing the pose even after C Weston Richburg lifts him off the ground in mid-dab after his 1st TD in a N.Y. Giants uniform gives the Giants a 9-3 lead over the Bills late in 1st quarter in Week 4. 
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23. Not surprisingly, everyone that dabs has his own style. Here's S Jahleel Addae's version after a play during the Chargers' 31-25 win at Jacksonville in Week 12. Addae had 6 tackles (5-1) and 2 PBU in the game.
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24. It's against the rules to draw attention to yourself in College Football; but Mississippi WR Quincy Adeboyejo's dab goes unpunished after one of his 3 TD catches in the 1st half in Week 2. He finished with 5 catches for 120 yards in a 73-21 win over Fresno State.
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OLD SCHOOL

25. There's nothing older school than taking a bow, but Steelers RB DeAngelo Williams might be the only player in the NFL who does it every time he scores. Williams celebrates one of his 3 TD vs. the 49ers in Week 2 (left photo) and one of his 2 at Cincinnati, with Reggie Nelson nearby, in Week 14 (right photo).
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26. For decades now players having been punctuating touchdowns with the good, old-fashioned spike; and it never goes out of style. RB LeGarrette Blount demonstrates the spike after his 2nd - and the Patriots' 4th - touchdown of the game in Week 6, increasing the Patriots' lead to 34-21 over the Colts early in 4th quarter .....
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27. ..... And one week later it's Saints RB Khiry Robinson's turn to slam the ball into the blue and white end zone at Lucas Oil Stadium after one of his 2 TD in a span of less than 3 minutes in the 1st half of a 27-21 win over the Colts. The 2 TD gave Khiry a career high 4 for the season; but he would score no more, suffering a broken leg in the Saints' next game. 
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28. I remember back when the high five first became popular in the late 1970's. Now it's almost 40 years later (yikes!) and you don't see it much in sports anymore. Here S Sergio Brown prepares to high five DE Andre Branch after sacking QB Marcus Mariota for a 2-yard loss on 3rd and 7 early in 3rd quarter of the Jaguars' 42-39 road loss to the Titans in Week 13. Brown finished with a total of 1.5 sacks, 36 tackles and 2 PBU in what turned out to be his only season with the Jaguars. He got a brief look by the Falcons during the 2016 preseason but was cut and is currently a free agent.
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FAN FRIENDLY

29. Redskins rookie RB Matt Jones takes his celebration into the front row at FedEx Field after scoring his 1st career TD on a 39-yard run during 1st quarter, putting the Redskins ahead to stay in their 24-10 victory over the Rams in Week 2.
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30. The fact that the Chiefs were still trailing after all 3 of his touchdowns at Green Bay in Week 3 wasn't enough to convince RB Jamaal Charles not to celebrate - dancing after his 9-yard run got the Chiefs on the board and made the score 14-7 in 2nd quarter and then finding a safe place (that is, far enough away from any Packers fans) to do a Lambeau Leap after his 4-yard run brought the Chiefs to within 38-22 with 9:56 remaining in the game. Unfortunately this game was the last time in 2015 Jamaal would be doing any celebrating. He didn't score at Cincinnati in Week 4 and then suffered a season-ending knee injury in the next game.
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31. After taking a kickoff return 101 yards to the house late in 3rd quarter in Week 13, WR Cordarrelle Patterson keeps on going another 10 yards past the end zone to accept some love from the fans in the front row at TCF Bank Stadium. The man in the black jacket and cap got to keep the ball as a souvenir. It was just about the only entertainment all day for Vikings fans, who endured a 0-point, 125-total yard showing by the Vikings offense in their 38-7 stinker of a loss to the Seahawks.
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32. I guess Lions RB Joique Bell's celebration could fit into the old school section as well as the fan friendly section. Whenever he scores a TD at home, as he did with his dreads reduced during the Lions' home opener in Week 3 (left photo) and with his dreads right in their final home game in Week 16 (right photo), he mimics conducting the crowd in the chorus of Hip Hop Hooray (which was a hit back in 1993). Unfortunately this celebration will be absent from Ford Field from now on, as Bell was released during the offseason and recently signed with the Bears.
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AIR BUMP

I was a big fan of the chest bump when it first originated, and it was a popular celebration in football for a while; but now for the most part it has been replaced by the simpler and safer air bump, where teammates jump up alongside each other but often don't actually bump.

33. RB Dexter McCluster and WR Harry Douglas do the air bump after McCluster scored his 1st TD of the season on a 3-yard reception on the last play of 3rd quarter in Week 6, the Titans' only TD of the day in their dismal 38-10 home loss to the Dolphins. After going 2-14 and 3-13 and scoring a total of just 3 TD in his 2 seasons with the Titans, Dexter is now with the Chargers.
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34. WR Seth Roberts gives thanks then gets up and does an air bump with TE Mychal Rivera after his 12-yard TD catch turns a 21-17 deficit into a 24-21 lead with 1:21 remaining in the game in Week 12, and the Raiders held on for the road win over the Titans. It was Roberts' 2nd TD catch of the game, and he finished with a career high 113 yards receiving.
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35. Teammates in college at BYU and now in the NFL with the Lions, DE Ziggy Ansah and LB Kyle Van Noy get some serious altitude on their air bump after Ansah's 2nd sack of the game on 3rd and 10 ends an Eagles' possession during 2nd quarter of the Lions' win on Thanksgiving.
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36. Panthers Ss Tre Boston and Roman Harper celebrate after a play (I have no idea which one) during 3rd quarter of a 31-24 home victory over the Seahawks in the 2nd round of the playoffs.
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37. Here's a 3-way bump involving TE MarQueis Gray (reduced dreads), S Aaron Williams, and RB Boobie Dixon after Williams' INT with 1:52 remaining in 4th quarter seals the Bills' opening day 27-14 home win over the Colts.
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38. QB Tyrod Taylor and TE Chris Gragg wait for WRs Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods to finish their air bump before joining the celebration after the first of 2 TD catches in the game by Watkins ups the Bills' lead to 10-0 over the Chiefs late in 1st quarter in Week 12.
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39. Dre Kirkpatrick, with his dreads not reduced for a change, celebrates with fellow CB Adam Jones after a play during 4th quarter of the Bengals' 24-16 home win over the Ravens in Week 17.
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40. DT Ricardo Mathews and S Jahleel Addae of the Chargers bump - and so do their dreads - in this shot of one of the season's leading contenders for the air bump with the sickest dreads. Actually this celebration came in Week 3 of the preseason, after a blitzing Addae forced Seahawks QB Russell Wilson into an intentional grounding penalty.
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41. WR DeAndre Hopkins flips the ball away after scoring the 1st TD of the game - and his 3rd of the season - on a 5-yard reception during 1st quarter in Week 3. Hopkins made the dread stars list with 8 catches for 101 yards as the Texans got their 1st win of the season, defeating the Buccaneers 19-9.
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42. WR Larry Fitzgerald leaps into the arms of DE Dwight Freeney with so much gusto that he ends up tackling him late in 4th quarter in Week 14. There's a good reason Fitzgerald was so happy. With the Vikings down by 3 but in FG range with 13 seconds on the clock, Freeney sacked QB Teddy Bridgewater and forced him to fumble, with the Cardinals getting the FR to clinch a big 23-20 home win, improving them to 11-2 and dropping Minnesota to 8-5. 
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43. We saw LeGarrette Blount spike the ball in photo #26; but when he scores in home games he usually stands with the End Zone Militia at Gillette Stadium, including here in Week 9 after his 5-yard TD run increases the Patriots' lead to 14-0 over Washington during 1st quarter. Blount finished with a season high 129 yards rushing as the Patriots improved to 8-0 with a 27-10 win.
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44. After eluding and outrunning the Cardinals' secondary for almost the entire length of the field, WR Martavis Bryant finishes his highlight-reel 88-yard TD with an acrobatic dive into the end zone late in 4th quarter in Week 6: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uRIN7pFmjU
With Bryant finishing with 6 catches for 137 yards and 2 TD, the Steelers - 5-point underdogs at home without injured QB Ben Roethlisberger - defeated the Cardinals 25-13.
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45. On-field photographers and cameramen try to keep up with Larry Fitzgerald as he basks in the aftermath of the Cardinals' 26-20 home win over the Packers in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Fitzgerald, as you remember, played a starring role in the victory. After catching only 1 pass for 6 yards in the 1st half, he ended up with 8 catches for 176 yards, including a 75-yard catch and run on the first play of overtime to set up the winning TD, which was scored by him 2 plays later on a 5-yard catch and run. I hope Larry enjoyed the moment, because things were a bit different after the Cardinals' next game a week later.