Jeremiah Smith wasn’t even born yet when Cristiano Ronaldo made his international debut, but that didn’t stop him from paying tribute in this week’s Rose Bowl.
The Ohio State star receiver Smith had a monster game in his team’s upset win over Oregon on Wednesday. He blew up for 187 receiving yards and two touchdowns as the Buckeyes ended the Ducks’ perfect season with a 41-21 victory. Ohio State now advances to play Texas in the CFP semifinal round.
After Smith got loose for his second touchdown of the day, he hit a familiar celebration in the end zone. Smith went for the Portuguese soccer legend Ronaldo’s iconic “SIUUUU!” move. Here is the video.
JEREMIAH SMITH HIT THE RONALDO SIUU AFTER HIS SECOND TD pic.twitter.com/00PdtcOVvn
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 1, 2025
The freshman Smith, 19, has been in his bag all season, entering play on Wednesday with 1,037 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in 13 games (on top of countless physics-defying highlights). That was enough for him to be named Big Ten Receiver of the Year as well as a Second Team All-American.
As for the Ronaldo celebration, it has been imitated by numerous athletes in different sports over the years. That includes another college receiver who hit the “SIUUUU!” move earlier this season and actually injured himself while doing so.
