Meet Jaxson Kirkland, the Husky Dancing Machine

The UW offensive lineman is learning new moves away from the field.
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When you're a sixth-year senior, having already graduated from the University of Washington, you still have to sign up for classes, any classes, to remain eligible to play Husky football. To fill out a minimum schedule, you need to get creative. 

Picture offensive lineman Jaxson Kirkland in the modern-day sequel to the major motion picture "Saturday Night Fever." Spinning, whirling, sliding. Crossing the floor on his haunches, arms crossed, holding everyone spellbound. Finally, wearing a white suit, with his arm raised to the ceiling.

Yeah, we couldn't either.

OK, envision the nimble 6-foot-7, 340-pound Kirkland and a couple of his Husky football teammates in quarterback Dylan Morris and linebacker Carson Bruener all signing up for an introductory dance class at the UW this quarter. This much is true.

"I think I'm pretty solid," Kirkland said with a grin and even a smirk. "I think the feet I have on the field translate over to the dance world. It depends on the type of music. I think it translates well."

While each class is videotaped, don't look for any of these Huskies to show up on social media anytime soon, which is Kirkland's preference for now.

"The film is private and you can put it on YouTube, but it can only accessed with your password — thank God," Kirkland said. "Because I don't know if I want that getting out yet."

Two steps forward, one step back.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.