On their way to the Super Bowl, the New England Patriots had their fair share of opportunities to celebrate. They won 14 regular season games plus three playoff contests, and along the way scored 64 touchdowns.
On several of those, the Patriots’ players and even head coach Mike Vrabel brought out a unique celebration: covering their face with one hand, while waving the other one in front of them. It’s called the “Zombieland” celebration, in case you’re wondering.
What, you didn’t know what it was called
like? Well, you are in good company.
“I don’t even know the name of it,” said wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who introduced it to the team. “I’ve been on the internet a little bit. I thought it was fitting. I think it started at Buffalo, kind of carried on. I don’t give it too much thought. I’m out there to have fun, and bring a lot of energy and swag.”
The celebration itself first came to prominence at Western Kentucky in 2020, and from there spread across the college football landscape (without anybody truly knowing what it was supposed to symbolize). In 2025, it reached New England.
And while striking poses after touchdowns is nothing new and can be a relatively mundane endeavor in the grand scheme of things, Diggs saw something different in the Patriots using it. For him, it was yet another possibility to strengthen the team’s identity and form a bond that goes beyond the wide receiver room.
“I’m a small piece of the puzzle. But when other guys make plays and carry it on — even the defense — it was crazy,” he said. “When it first happened, the defense was like, ‘We need a celebration bad. Y’all got a celebration?’ It brings the team together a little bit when you have a team celebration and stuff like that. I credit that to my past years being at other places and seeing what kind of brings guys together. And you’ve got to make plays first before you can celebrate. So, I think it goes hand in hand.”
