Ickey Woods is still famous decades after his big season

Ickey Woods was watching the Cincinnati Bengals’ first playoff game when he saw a familiar touchdown dance.

Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah scored against the Las Vegas Raiders. Uzomah, who was born four years after Woods became an instant NFL phenomenon with the Bengals, broke into the “Ickey Shuffle.” Every NFL fan of a certain age — not just Bengals fans — instantly knew what Uzomah was doing and had a nice flashback.

“It was a very cool moment,” Woods said. “I got a chance before the AFC championship game to thank (Uzomah) and tell him I appreciated it, and he said ‘I always have to respect the legends.’ That was great to hear.”

Woods’ enduring fame is pretty surprising, if you think about it. He played in just 37 NFL games. He played four seasons and he had just 459 rushing yards in his final three seasons. There have been plenty of running backs over NFL history who have burned bright for a season and faded away without another thought.

Woods’ magical season happened 33 years ago. And still, you probably remember him fondly.

“Never in my wildest dreams,” Woods said this week about still being remembered long after his playing days.

“I was fortunate enough to play on a team that made it to the Super Bowl and I created a little dance called the “Ickey Shuffle” that stuck over the years.”

The Bengals’ unlikely Super Bowl trip this season has meant another wave of attention for Woods.

“Ickey Shuffle” is a big hit

For some reason, the “Ickey Shuffle” became a phenomenon. He’d take a few awkward steps to one side, a few more to the other, spike the ball and fans would go wild.

The dance still lives on. A few years ago, Geico called and asked Woods to shoot a commercial in which he celebrates that his number was called at the deli counter and then breaks into his dance. You might have seen that ad a few hundred times.

“I was surprised,” Woods said. “They called and said they had an idea and they wanted to use the shuffle and wanted to know if I was interested. I…