WATCH: West Virginia receiver Sam James flagged after hilarious celebration during spring game
The West Virginia Mountaineers are playing their annual spring game on Saturday, and the first half has already seen some plays that will show up on the highlight reels. They just might not be showing up on those reels for the reasons you would expect. In the second quarter of West Virginia’s spring game, wide receiver Sam James caught a long touchdown pass but was then flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.
James caught the deep pass over the top in the middle of the field, finishing the catch in the end zone to put the blue team on the board. Following the touchdown, James placed the ball on the ground, dropped on all fours, then lifted up his leg to imitate a dog urinating.
If that interesting celebration looks familiar, it is because former New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. did the same thing after catching a touchdown pass back in 2017. Beckham was fined over $12,000 for the celebration, and while James pulled it out during the spring game, he will likely be having a conversation about that play after the game.
James is returning for his fifth year at West Virginia
Back in 2018, James joined West Virginia’s program as part of the 2018 recruiting class as a three-star wide receiver. Since joining the Mountaineers, James has become a consistent contributor on offense.
As a freshman in 2018, he caught two passes in two games. As a sophomore in 2020, he upped his production to 69 receptions for 677 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games. In 2020, he had 31 receptions for 300 yards and two touchdowns in nine games, and this past season James caught 42 passes for 505 yards and five touchdowns for West Virginia.
As West Virginia’s second most productive receiver last season, James hopes to again establish himself as one of the team’s top wideouts in 2022.