NC State offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu may hear his name called early in the 2022 NFL Draft.
And if he does, perhaps he’ll be called by his nickname: Ickey.
So if you’re watching and wondering where that comes from, we’e found the story! And if you know your NFL history, you know there was former Cincinnati Bengals running back Ickey Woods (remembered most for his Ickey Shuffle touchdown dance).
Turns out, there’s a connection there. Yahoo Sports has the tale: Ekwonu wanted to play running back in third grade and told his coach that was the case. Here’s what he said happened:
I always wanted to play running back. I told the coach that that was always my dream position, is playing running back and being able to hold the ball in my hand and run with it.
And so, kind of just based off that a little bit, too, he said, yeah, you remind me of [INAUDIBLE] Cincinnati Bengals running back he used to watch, Ickey Woods. I took that home. And it really just– kind of just stuck with me ever since the third grade.
And yes, he can do the Ickey Shuffle. Maybe we’ll see that on Thursday night.
