Alexander's dance fever on display in the end-zone

KIRKLAND — In high school, he used to run into the end zone and point skyward, then turn and jog with the football as he headed to the sideline.

At Alabama, he would simply leap into his offensive linemen's arms when he scored touchdowns.

But in the NFL, Shaun Alexander has shown more pizzazz.

Remember the "Big Woman Embrace," in which Alexander put both arms out wide and pretended to give a hug? Though that was two years ago, it remains his brother Durran's favorite.

This season, Alexander became a regular on Fox Sports Net's "Best Damn Sports Show Period." And so began a season's worth of memorable touchdown celebrations.

Every week, Alexander would chat with the show's hosts — Chris Rose, Rodney Peete, John Salley and Rob Dibble. The whole thing started with a few suggestions about what to do when the Seahawks' star running back scored.

But as the touchdowns piled up, the show began to run out of ideas. Alexander went on to score 28 and set an NFL season record.

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"By the time we got to Week 10," Rose said, "we thought, 'What the heck are we going to do?' So then we started getting topical."

So the celebrations paid tribute to something or someone besides his own team.

But let's start at the beginning.

Alexander performed "The Sprinkler" in last year's Pro Bowl, a dance that paid tribute to teammates Darrell Jackson and Bobby Engram. It's the one where the player tucks the football behind his head and moves his extended arm from side to side.

In Week 3 of the regular season, Alexander did his "Rock the Baby," routine, cradling the ball in one arm and using his other hand to gently pat the ball. Another tribute, this one to his newborn daughter, Trinity.

In that same game against the Arizona Cardinals, Alexander did his rendition of teammate Rocky Bernard's "Sugar Bear Shake" sack dance. He got on one knee and shimmied his upper body.

"I think 'Rock the Baby' is No. 1," Alexander said.

The touchdowns kept coming, and so did the celebrations. More highlights:

• Week 5: A move called "The Hockey Enforcer," which he used in a win at St. Louis.

• Week 9: A home-run swing following his 88-yard run at Arizona.

• Week 10: After a talk with a local radio personality known as "The Fish" earlier in the week, Alexander pretended to reel in a fish with an imaginary pole.

• Week 11: On one of his two touchdowns, Alexander pretended to be bowling, rolling the ball through the back of the end zone.

• Week 14: In perhaps his most popular post-touchdown celebration, Alexander paid tribute to the late Pat Morita, the actor who played Mr. Miyagi in "The Karate Kid." Alexander got into the "crane" stance with both arms up and one leg off the ground, and kicked into the air.

"They're great entertainment," fullback Leonard Weaver said of Alexander's routines. "Nothing wrong with it. I like the 'crane.' That was a pretty sweet one. I think I like that one the best."

Rose agreed. The "Karate Kid" kick was the best.

• Week 15: Alexander pretended to play a fiddle on a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans in the epicenter of country music, Nashville.

Not everyone enjoys Alexander's antics. Critics says there's no place for such behavior in football because it shows no respect for the game.

"I did the 'Big Woman Embrace' a long time ago, and all the guys on the team liked it so much," Alexander said. "If they wouldn't have kept coming up with ideas, I would have stopped a long time ago."

Alexander insists he really isn't the celebratory type. In fact, before the playoffs, he said he was going to hand the ball to a lineman to spike.

It didn't happen. His lineman didn't want attention focused on them.

Said Alexander, "They were like, 'You do the scoring and we'll do the blocking and we'll call it a day.' "

Alexander has something special planned if he scores in the Super Bowl, Rose said, but Alexander wouldn't reveal it on the air.

"He said he has one that has to do with cars," Rose said.

Detroit, after all, is the Motor City.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com