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Jaelan Phillips Did a Dikembe Mutombo Tribute With One Finger Wag

Stephen Douglas

Jaelan Phillips wags his finger after knocking down a pass.
Jaelan Phillips wags his finger after knocking down a pass. /
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The Miami Dolphins hosted the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football in Week 4. It was a low-scoring game with the Titans taking a 9-3 lead into halftime as Will Levis, Mason Rudolph, and Tyler Huntley combined for 131 passing yards in the first 30 minutes.

At one point during the half Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips jumped up to knock down a pass attempt by Rudolph. After signaling incomplete Phillips broke out a simple finger wag.

Considering the game was played hours after news broke that NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo had passed away at 58, it seems likely the wag was inspired by the legendary philanthropist and big man.

The tributes to Mutombo continue to come in and hopefully, this will become a regular celebration in multiple sports from here on out. Please do not penalize it.

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Stephen Douglas
STEPHEN DOUGLAS

Stephen Douglas is a Senior Writer on the Breaking & Trending News Team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in journalism and media since 2008, and now casts a wide net with coverage across all sports. Stephen spent more than a decade with The Big Lead and has previously written for Uproxx and The Sporting News. He has three children, two degrees and one now unverified Twitter account.

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