Texans rookie Jaylin Noel causes stir on 1st touchdown with fun Ray Lewis dance, angers Ravens corner Jaire Alexander

BALTIMORE, Md. – Jaylin Noel heard the message loud and clear from Texans coach DeMeco Ryans wanting to see something fun, perhaps a little spice after a touchdown.

The Texans’ rookie wide receiver obliged with a convincing rendition of retired Ravens Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis’ famous ‘Squirrel’ dance in the end zone after his first career touchdown catch.

When Noel scored during a 44-10 rout Sunday, he quickly celebrated with the dance Lewis popularized during his hard-hitting tenure with the Ravens as a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl Most Valuable Player.

“I actually watched it last night,” Noel told KPRC 2 when asked how he became familiar with Lewis’ dance. “Coach ‘Meco was saying we need something if we get in the end zone. So, I watched that last night and I was able to do it today.

“It felt great, just an honor and a blessing to be able to get my first one in the NFL. Not many people get that opportunity, so it was a blessing for sure.”

The dance angered the Ravens, including veteran cornerback Jaire Alexander. He tried to take the football away from Noel, who wanted it as a keepsake. Noel held onto the touchdown ball as fellow rookie wide receiver Jayden Higgins, his good friend, shoved Alexander away from Noel as he ran toward the bench with the ball in hand.

“I seen him celebrating in The Bank end zone,I didn’t appreciate that while I was on the field,” Alexander said. “I was just like ‘Nah, you ain’t getting the ball back.’”

Noel did, though, get the ball and the win.

And the touchdown was a well-designed misdirection play as quarterback C.J. Stroud faked a pitch to running back Woody Marks before going the other way with a short toss to Noel to get into the end zone.

“Just one of our movement plays, getting C.J. out of the pocket and he found me,” Noel said. “Put the ball on me and I was able to score.”

The third-round draft pick from Iowa State hopes the Texans can build on the momentum of a two-game winning streak heading into an open week before a Monday night game at the Seattle Seahawks.

“It’s great for us to take this momentum,” Noel said. “You see the defense getting takeaways and then the offense being able to move the ball continuously and not hurting ourselves on first and second down. So, it was a great job to build momentum and go into the buy week and get off it.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com