Shedeur Sanders watch celebration, explained: The story behind iconic Rolex flex and how it started

A college football player’s goal is to win the Heisman, win the national championship and go on to be drafted in the NFL and have a successful career. Along the way, the hope is that the player can change the game in some way, whether through play on the field or some kind of symbol that resonates with fans and the rest of the sports world. 

Former quarterback Tim Tebow would kneel and say a prayer before every game. With his dominance at Florida, people in everyday life would kneel on the ground and yell, “Tebow.” When Johnny Manziel was tearing it up at Texas A&M, his celebration would be rubbing his thumb and pointer finger together symbolizing that he was money. 

Shedeur Sanders played his college football at Jackson State and Colorado. He is expected to be the second quarterback drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft. Once he got to Boulder, Sanders came alive on the football field and developed a celebration that he became known for after going viral, despite its simplicity. 

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Here is more on Sanders’ watch celebration. 

Shedeur Sanders watch celebration

Whenever Sanders would score a touchdown on the field or make a big play, he would hold up his wrist, like you would if you were showing someone a watch. That was exactly his intention because he is a watch aficionado. After beating Arizona State in a game in 2023, Sanders put on his watch, ran to the student section and flexed his $70,000 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15500 to the crowd. 

This spawned his celebration which would just be him flexing his wrist, even when he wasn’t wearing the watch. It symbolized the epitome of a combination of “I’ve got it like that”, “I’m that dude” and “I’m better than you.” 

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Others doing “The Shedeur”

Sanders’ celebration caught on like wildfire in the sports world. Similar to Manziel’s money celebration, it is easy to do, doesn’t violate any rules and is attributed back to the quarterback. 

Here are other athletes or celebrities that have done Sanders’ celebration.

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Chet Holmgren

Davante Adams

Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson

DJ Khaled

Tiffany Hayes

Shedeur Sanders

Rick Ross