NFL Vikings player Cam Bynum gets Raygun nod after tribute

Now that American gridiron* player Cam Bynum has Raygun’s attention, it’s possible the pair could break the internet together in future.

The Viking has gone viral since Sunday’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, when he mimicked* the Australian breakdancer’s curious routine at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Bynum, who plays the defensive “safety*” position for the Minnesota side, pulled out the now familiar moves after celebrating an interception* and Raygun herself took notice, calling the tribute “wild” and saying she “loved it”.

Bynum, 26, was “fanboying” over Raygun’s reaction and confirmed he wanted to connect with her in the off-season, the New York Post reported.

“One thousand per cent,” Bynum told TMZ Sports.

“Whether it’s a battle* — I don’t know, I’m not that good of a dancer, so she’ll probably kill me. She’s a world-class dancer.”

Bynum recorded his third interception of the season when he picked off Mac Jones in the fourth quarter of the Vikings’ 12-7 win.

He promptly performed Raygun’s distinctive routine and said he was not surprised by the attention he has received.

“Not at all. That was the plan behind the whole celebration,” Bynum said.

“I’m a big fan of Raygun, especially after the Olympics when we all found out about her, and I saw it coming back up recently.

“But ever since I saw her do that dance and her do her performance in the Olympics, I was like, ‘I need to bring this back in an NFL game’.

“I don’t think anyone would have the guts to do it. So I memorised it and studied her.”

The 37-year-old Raygun, whose real name is Rachael Gunn, lost all three rounds of Olympic competition in Paris and scored zero points.

She recently confirmed she would be stepping back from competition but said she was not retiring.

“You try and stop me. I’m not ever going to stop dancing,” Raygun told Today host Sarah Abdo. “So if you hear that again, you know that it’s not the truth.”

Bynum is well-known around the NFL for his celebration game, but he might have outdone himself against the Jaguars last weekend.

He paid homage to his inspiration when talking to reporters post-game.

“She went out there and had fun and that’s what I do on the field,” he said.

“I’ve been saving for that and it’s been a while since I did a celly (celebration).”

Bynum said he has three celebrations ready per game in case he has “a three turnover game”, but was keen to unveil his ‘Raygun’ number.

“It’s been a few weeks’ (preparation),” he said. “I can clown like she did. It didn’t take too much effort.”

Unlike some responses to Raygun’s original, reaction to Bynum’s celebration routine appeared to be unanimously positive on social media.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post and was reproduced with permission

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GLOSSARY

• gridiron: American football, NFL
• mimicked: closely imitated, copied the way someone spoke and moved
• interception: a turnover, involving a pass, either by foot or hand, that’s caught by an opposition player, who usually gains possession for his team
• safety: in NFL, safeties defend against the pass, provide support on rushing plays and occasionally rush into the offensive backfield to disrupt the play

EXTRA READING

Raygun ‘breaks’ the news cycle

NRL’s Valentine Holmes chasing NFL career

Breakdancing added to 2024 Paris Olympics

QUICK QUIZ

1. What hugely popular American sport does Cam Bynum play and for which team?
2. How many points did Raygun score from her Olympic performance?
3. What is Raygun’s real name?
4. What position does Bynum play?
5. What was he celebrating when he imitated Raygun’s Olympic routine?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Create a “celly”!
In the story, Bynum said that he had prepared three celebrations for the game, one inspired by Raygun. What do you think he could have done for one of his other “celly” routines? Write a description, perform or draw a storyboard of another celebration that you think would be perfect for Bynum. Think about what inspired him to copy Raygun to give you some ideas.

Time: allow at least 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social Capability

2. Extension
“There are so many serious things that kids need to know about; Kids News should not run stories about silly things like a football player’s victory dance!”

Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Write a very convincing paragraph that explains your point of view.

Time: allow at least 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social Capability

VCOP ACTIVITY
Stretch your sentence
Find a “who” in the cartoon – a person or an animal. Write it down.

Add three adjectives to describe them better.

Now add a verb to your list. What are they doing?

Add an adverb about how they are doing the action.

Using all the words listed, create one descriptive sentence.