When Holton ‘Drops’ it means catch for TD
Raiders WR breaks into dance after score vs. Dolphins
ALAMEDA, Calif. — Most who watched it Sunday were unsure what they saw.
Johnny Holton, after catching a 44-yard touchdown in the second quarter, celebrated with a choreographed dance that perplexed the uninitiated. He resembled an excited pogo-stick user to some viewers. Others theorized he was riding an imaginary dolphin.
A Sports Illustrated headline read: “Johnny Holton’s Touchdown Dance Was Amazing, Even Though We’re Slightly Confused.”
There is an easy explanation.
Miami.
Holton and fellow Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper both call the South Florida city their hometown. The two played an integral role in Sunday’s 27-24 win over the Dolphins, as Holton scored the game’s first touchdown and Cooper recovered an onside kick, effectively thwarting a last-ditch comeback attempt.
Afterward, the childhood Dolphins fans offered background on the dance.
“That’s something we do in Coconut Grove,” Holton said, referring to their neighborhood. “It’s called a ‘Drop.’ I had seen my family up there, and I had to dance for them.”
“It’s an old school dance for us when we were teenagers,” Cooper said.
Holton, 26, said that he purchased 110 tickets for family and friends to attend the “Sunday Night Football” game at Hard Rock Stadium. Cooper, 23, purchased an additional 25, but given the two grew up with each other,
there was heavy overlap in their crowd sections.
“Some of his people are my people,” said Cooper, who was the first teammate to sprint over and congratulate Holton following his score. “He just got the tickets. We all know the same people. … It was great, man. I was so happy for him because he talked about it all week. He was saying if he scored, it would be epic.”
While Holton contributes most often in special-teams coverage, the speedster has been efficient on offense.
Both of his catches this season have been for touchdowns, the first a 64-yarder against the Denver Broncos on Oct. 1 that capped a 99-yard drive. Holton joined the Raiders in 2016 as an undrafted rookie. While he’s still fine-tuning his game, he’s made significant strides as a route-runner since his initial arrival.
Last year, he caught two passes for 34 yards with six carries for another 43.
“When he gets in the game, people are pointing him out, (saying), ‘The fast guy is in!’” quarterback Derek Carr said. “And you can see them pointing, and coaches are yelling and all those things. … We have two starting receivers that are pretty darn good (Cooper and Michael Crabtree). It’s hard to get on the field in the NFL, and when you do, you have to make plays and Johnny has.
“He does a good job of letting me know when he’s in the huddle. He’s really good at that. He’s really one of my favorite people to be around because he’s one of the (funniest) guys I’ve ever been around. To be honest, he literally came in the huddle — and he does it every time — he said, ‘I’m here.’ Got it. OK, let me call the play. He has a good sense of humor about himself.”
And some dance moves, too.
Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@ reviewjournal.com. Follow @Gehlkennfl on Twitter.