He'll flip 56 on the finish of the month, however someplace inside SoFi Stadium, if the Bengals seize their first Tremendous Bowl championship, brace your self for an Ickey Shuffle for the ages.
However does Ickey Woods nonetheless have the strikes?
“Each on occasion, man, each on occasion,” he informed The Put up. “I’m previous, however I ain’t that previous now.”
He was a pushed second-round decide who had led the nation in speeding at UNLV when he unveiled the top zone dance that captivated Cincinnati — and past — through the Bengals’ march 33 years in the past to Tremendous Bowl 23.
“All people was doing it,” Woods recalled. “I even talked to my cousin in Japan, and he informed me that they had been doing it in Japan. It occurred to get worldwide.”
Again in 1988, he tried it out in Week 4 towards the Browns earlier than adjusting it in Week 6 towards the Jets.
“I simply made it up, man,” Woods stated. “I flew my mother in for a recreation towards Cleveland, and me and my two oldest youngsters on the time had been sitting up and I used to be listening to some music and I simply began performing foolish, and I stated, ‘Mother if I rating tomorrow, that is what I’m gonna do.’ She was like, ‘Boy, you higher not do this!’ I stated, ‘I acquired to mother!’ So I scored after which I simply jumped within the air and kinda put my fingers in between my legs and stuff, and after the sport, [Bengals safety] Rickey Dixon was like, ‘Woods, Woods, what was that?’ I stated, ‘Man, that was my celebration dance.’ He’s like, ‘Man, that factor was wack.’ I stated, ‘All proper, effectively what you suppose I oughta do, put some steps to it?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, man, put some steps to it.’
“So I stated, ‘OK.’ So the entire week earlier than we get able to play the New York Jets, the entire week I’m considering, ‘What can I do?’ After which 5 minutes earlier than it was time to exit and get warmed up, it simply hit me, I stated, ‘Rick, verify this out, that is what I’m gonna do right now if I rating.’ We’ll go 1-2-3 to the appropriate, 1-2-3 to the left, 1-2-3 again to the appropriate, and I’m gonna hop again thrice and spike the ball.’ He was like, ‘Oh yeah, Ick Man, that’s gonna be dwell, that’s gonna be dwell.’ So I simply inform folks I used to be lucky sufficient to be on the proper place on the proper time. I used to be blessed to be profitable ballgames and we made it to the Tremendous Bowl that 12 months.”
A homicide and dedication
The Ickey Shuffle was fortunate to make it out of Fresno. The homicide of his childhood buddy and UNLV teammate Andre Horn modified Woods’ life.
“At the moment, I assume it was crack cocaine was simply beginning to hit the scene,” Woods stated. “He was promoting that just a little bit and getting cash. That was what I used to be on the brink of begin doing, and begin to promote narcotics and make the large cash as a result of I hadn’t executed nothing in three years [at UNLV] and I figured, ‘Hell, I would as effectively begin making some cash.’ I informed him that I used to be gonna meet him in a while that night time and we had been gonna put collectively a recreation plan and begin rolling, after which for some cause, by the grace of God, I didn’t meet up with him that night time, and I get a name about 4 o’clock within the morning telling me that he was shot 19 instances and so they lower his throat.
“So that permit me know that wasn’t the best way for me, so I acquired again in and began consuming, sleeping and sh–ting soccer, and was lucky sufficient to have a man by the identify of John Montgomery are available in, who was my [UNLV] working again coach, present that he cared for me as a human being and never a soccer participant, and we meshed collectively and he informed me if I do the whole lot that he informed me to and I give him 100%, he assured I’d be a first- or second-round draft alternative. I had nothing to lose at that exact time, so I did the whole lot he informed me to do and I find yourself being the primary participant taken within the second spherical.”
After speeding for 320 yards in his first three seasons with UNLV, he busted out for 1,658 and 10 touchdowns in 11 video games his senior 12 months.
Quickly, he was a 6-foot-2, 232-pound Child Bull who grew to become the speak of the city and NFL Rookie of the 12 months, speeding for 1,066 yards and 15 touchdowns on 203 carries. And all appeared attainable for the Sam Wyche-Boomer Esiason Bengals towards Joe Montana and the 49ers — till the night time earlier than the sport, when working again Stanley Wilson was found in his resort room bathtub, having suffered a drug relapse.
“It was tough,” Woods stated. “It damage us. … It was time to go to the assembly room, all people’s in there, and Stanley’s truly on his manner down from what I hear, after which he claimed he left one thing within the room and went again to the room, and that’s all she wrote. We began the assembly with out him after which Sam got here down after the assembly was over, had tears in his eyes and stated Stanley had a relapse. It simply messed us up, man.”
There was turmoil on the Bengals sideline within the first half when Woods and dual-threat sidekick working again James Brooks couldn't comprehend the sport plan.
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“Boomer was an excellent chief, man. He commanded respect within the huddle and we gave it to him,” Woods stated. “I don’t know why we tried to show right into a passing crew after we get to the Tremendous Bowl. We had been working the ball 45-50 instances, after which we get to the Tremendous Bowl and switch right into a passing crew rapidly. We kinda went away from what acquired us to the large recreation. Sam acquired just a little pissed off ’trigger me and J.B. had been mad, saying we have to run the ball and cease making an attempt to go. Sam pulled the offense to the facet and stated we have to cease being egocentric, we will run and go. Evidently we couldn’t, ’trigger Boomer didn’t have an excellent day that day.”
Nonetheless, it took a 10-yard Montana landing go to John Taylor with 34 seconds left to shatter the “Who Dey!?” dream.
“It was irritating ’trigger we went to that rattling stop protection,” Woods stated, “and the one factor it does is stop you from profitable the sport.”
It ended rapidly
Woods was by no means the identical after that dream rookie season. He would rush for less than 459 yards the remainder of his profession because of a pair of knee accidents. He was completed after the 1992 season on the age of 26.
“It was tough as a result of most soccer gamers suppose they’re gonna play a very long time, you by no means take accidents into consideration,” Woods stated. “After which to have it snatched away from you, actual life slaps you within the face. On the time, I had a spouse and 4 youngsters, so I needed to begin an actual job. And that’s an eye-opener while you go from making massive cash after which you must get an actual job. It was a life-altering factor however we made it by it and we survived, and we’re nonetheless right here to speak about it.”
He had appeared in an Oldsmobile business following his rookie season, and in a while in commercials for Cincinnati Bell in 2002 after which Geico. He based the Cincinnati Sizzle, a ladies’s skilled soccer crew, in 2003.
“I used to be a salesman, bought meat door-to-door, bought automobiles, did no matter it took to place meals on the desk and garments on my child’s again,” he stated. “I wasn’t a kind of massive high-ego guys the place I couldn’t get my fingers soiled and ensure I supplied for my household.”
Do it for Cincy and Jovante
He loves these AFC champion Bengals a lot he's predicting a 31-27 upset of the Rams with Joe Burrow the doubtless MVP.
“Simply really feel blissful in regards to the subsequent 10-15 years with this child on the helm,” Woods stated. “He’s simply acquired that it issue, man, you'll be able to’t clarify. He’s acquired this like a Michael Jordan, like a Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Tiger Woods, he’s simply acquired that it issue, man. No matter he does, it simply turns to gold. I’m glad we acquired him. We’re gonna be good for the subsequent 10, 15 years, man. He’s simply cool underneath strain, nothing rattles him. He jogs my memory of type of a younger Tom Brady developing.”
He's additionally excessive on Joe Mixon.
“I like him,” Woods stated. “He runs the ball onerous, you gotta control him, not solely can he run the ball, he also can catch the ball, so that you gotta preserve eyes on him always. They acquired a plethora of weapons over there on that Bengal offense. These guys are gonna make it robust on the Rams’ protection. That’s on the again half. If we will shore up that entrance half, and preserve [Aaron] Donald and the boys at bay, we’re gonna have an awesome likelihood of undoubtedly profitable this ballgame.”
He runs the Jovante Woods Basis nowadays.
“I misplaced my son to bronchial asthma 10 years in the past,” Woods stated. “It’s known as the Jovante Woods Basis.org, should you guys need to make a donation to the inspiration. We go round elevating cash for bronchial asthma analysis and bronchial asthma schooling to teach the folks on how extreme and severe bronchial asthma actually is.”
He grew to become a Cincinnati resident after his enjoying days and when he's acknowledged, somebody is sure to ask: “Let me see the Shuffle.”
“I say, ‘I don’t do it without spending a dime no extra, I do it to lift cash for my son’s basis, so it’s not gonna be nothing small, dig in your pockets deep,” Woods stated.
One Ickey Shuffle for Jovante, perhaps, on Tremendous Sunday.
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