FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Glenn's dance moves on the sideline made the New York Jets coach a viral sensation on social media.
And he won't be pulling his celebratory reaction from the playbook any time soon.
“Here's what I do know: I'm going to always be me,” a smiling Glenn said Thursday. “Listen, these guys need someone that's going to show they believe in them and is going to show that they're proud of them when they make plays.”
Will McDonald blocked Chase McLaughlin's field-goal attempt last Sunday and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown to put New York ahead of Tampa Bay late in the game. As McDonald raced down the field, Glenn took off down the Jets' sideline, too, with his right arm raised before stopping and busting out into a high-stepping dance.
Some fans and media loved it. Others hated it — especially since the Jets ended up losing 29-27 on a last-second field goal by McLaughlin that dropped New York to 0-3 under Glenn.
Video of the dance made the rounds on social media Sunday night, but Glenn really went viral when ESPN reporter Jenna Laine synchronized the coach's dance to Earth, Wind & Fire's “September” on Monday morning. The song includes the lyric: “Do you remember. The 21st night of September?” — and the game was fittingly played on Sept. 21.
Laine's tweet on X has since had 2.6 million views as of early Thursday morning. It has since spawned several other videos syncing Glenn's dance to other songs.
Glenn said he hadn't seen the Earth, Wind & Fire video, but his kids showed him other clips that were circulating on social media.
“I'll tell you what: If I probably didn't do that, my wife and kids would've said, ‘Man, what’s happening? What's going on with you?'” Glenn said. "I'm never going to be fake. I'm going to always be me. Some people like it, some people don't. It doesn't matter.
“But I'm glad that people could see me and my authentic self, no matter what. And I don't know what it means because some people said, ‘Is a head coach supposed to act like that?’ How is a head coach supposed to act? I don't know, but it was good.”
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