Everyone remembers Jimmy Graham’s signature touchdown celebration from his first stint with the New Orleans Saints — dunking the football over the goalpost’s crossbar. He infamously bent the goalpost in a 2013 celebration versus the Atlanta Falcons. That led to a stoppage in play, with the NFL taking that celebration out of the game. What was once a popular celebration is now a 15-yard penalty and $5,606 fine. He took time this week to reflect on the “Jimmy Graham Rule” and his place in NFL history upon returning to New Orleans.
Graham does take pride in the fact the rule is nicknamed after him. He joked that he “ended all the fun for everyone with the goalpost”, but wears it as a badge of honor. He hopes that one day “the NFL changes the whole penalty and makes it to where if you don’t tear down, nothing will happen.”
In his first score back with the team in preseason, Graham went up for the dunk, but stopped himself. It was a nice throwback to the days when a Graham touchdown catch was a regular occurrence. It’s a new day now, and Graham won’t celebrate his touchdowns with a dunk any longer. The celebration is too costly to his wallet and to the team, due to penalty.
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