Getty Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott scored his second touchdown of the day against the Detroit Lions in Week 11, and to celebrate, his end zone dance gave a nod and wink to his quarterback, Dak Prescott. The Cowboys quarterback’s pregame warm-up became a viral meme online last week.
After the 24-year-old star running back, who’s 6’0 and 225 pounds, caught a short pass from Prescott, and ran it in for the score, he performed the hilariously wonderful “Dak Dances to Anything” moves, and even the referees couldn’t help but laugh. Like Prescott, Elliott did the two step pre-throw cha-cha, while whipping his right hip around to propel his body forward.
.@EzekielElliott TD catch from @Dak … #Cowboys RB gives you the Dak Dance
Elliott had a slow start in Sunday’s game. On the second play from scrimmage, he fumbled the ball, and Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis recovered on the Dallas 28, which led to Detroit marking the opening touchdown score of the game. Despite the early deficit, the Cowboys came out with a 35-27 win, with much of the credit deservedly going to Prescott and Elliott.
Making up for his early mistake, Elliott then did everything he could to help his team surge back in the second quarter, where he punched in for a one-yard touchdown. But it wasn’t until his second touchdown that Elliott imitated Prescott’s hip swivel, a celebratory dance which became the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter at one point last week.
Where Did The ‘Dak Dance’ Come From?
For those who missed Prescott’s practice moves which turned into a viral GIF, users online took the clip of his warm-ups, and using the hashtag, “Dak Dances to Anything,” dubbed it to different songs to create thousands of mini music videos.
Of the most popular musical choices, Prescott dancing to Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie,” Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas,” Beyonce’s “Single Ladies,” and a mash-up with “The Carlton Dance” from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air were heavy favorites.
The viral sensation which has since swept the nation in popularity all started when Prescott was preparing for the team’s Week 10 primetime match-up against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football in Week 10. The team went on to lose that game 28-24 at home in Arlington, Texas.
Despite all the jokes, memes, and gifs, Prescott continues on with his pregame boogey warm-ups. The quarterback was once again seen doing his eponymous moves before playing the Lions at Ford Field in Detroit.
The dance that’s sweeping the nation is back for Week 11!
Do your thing @Dak 🕺🏼
Numerous Quarterbacks Perform a Similar ‘Dance’ To Warm-Up Before Games
Prescott’s swinging hips is not a unique dance or warm-up per se, numerous quarterback practice their pre-throw moves prior to the start of the game, and by moving their hips, they’re loosening up their joints, which can help propel the velocity of one’s throwing pass.
Below is a video of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph doing a version of what’s now officially called the ‘Dak Dance.’
Mason Rudolph hit the Dak dance 🔥
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo also gets game-time ready by doing a very similar warm-up cha-cha before suiting up.
#49ers Jimmy G to Dak Prescott:
Hold my beer. 🍺
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