Remembering Jared Odrick's 'Tequila dance' following Paul Reubens' death
Paul Reubens, the actor best known for his role as Pee-Wee Herman in TV and film, died at the age of 70 on Sunday. The iconic, oddball character didn't have much of a link to the sports world. Not even Tour de France participants tried to mimic Pee-Wee's sweet bike moves, despite him "winning" the title once.
That changed when former Dolphins defensive tackle Jared Odrick brought Pee-Wee back into the conversation when he began using the "Tequila dance" as his sack celebration in 2011.
At the time, Hall of Famer Jason Taylor told reporters the celebration was "embarrassing." Odrick wasn't having it.
"It's unfortunate they can't really support me and my dancing... JT's just mad because he's been here 15 years and doesn't have a theme song yet. My dance isn't terrible. It's fun. It's unique," he said in his own defense.
In 2013, it caught on among his peers, as well as Reubens.
In Week 6 that year, former Patriots linebacker Chandler Jones adopted the dance following a sack. Reubens also applauded his contribution.
In an interview with the Palm Beach Post, Reubens praised Odrick for reviving the dance, saying, "Why hasn't this been happening all the time? It took somebody as smart as Jared to realize the timing was right and have the good taste and expertise and the talent to bring it back."
Steve Smith used the dance to celebrate a touchdown with the Ravens in 2015, proving its everlasting appeal.
Like a biker gang at a Texas bar, the NFL couldn't resist its charm.
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