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Why 'Swag Surfin' is NFL anthem; Kirk Cousins' Falcons viral victory version was not

The goofy Atlanta Falcons quarterback had a career-defining performance in a thrilling 36-30 win vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Was his victory dance “Swag Surfin” though?

Matthew Graham

Oct 3, 2024: Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins passes against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first quarter in the 36-30 thriller.
Oct 3, 2024: Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins passes against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first quarter in the 36-30 thriller. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
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In a Thursday Night Football game that was looking like another Baker Mayfield redemption tour victory for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was stolen by Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons in another miracle comeback, 36-30 in overtime. The Dirty Birds came back with a win probability of less than 5% with less than two minutes for the second time this season after stealing a road win against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2 on Monday Night Football.

Cousins threw for 509 yards and four touchdowns, setting a Falcons franchise record and the first QB to throw for over 500 yards since Joe Burrow in 2021.

But enough about that, the only thing that matters is “Swag Surfin,” which every outlet, including Sports Illustrated, said is what Kirk Cousins did immediately after the game to celebrate in this clip that instantly went viral.

We’ll get into that debate in a second, but first, why is “Swag Surfin” an NFL and Atlanta Falcons staple?

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From smash hip hop hit to NFL stadium anthem

“Swag Surfin” was released in 2009 by the hip hop group Fast Life Younstaz, who grew up in the Atlanta suburb of Stone Mountain, Georgia. It was a solid hit at the time, climbing up to No. 12 on the hip-hop charts, but only as high as No. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100.

From there, it grew in popularity and became a staple at big social gatherings like weddings, graduation parties, and other major life-moment parties.

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It then started showing up in the NFL, first gaining traction in the Chicago Bears locker room for their postgame celebrations after victories around 2018. Then it gained national attention when it started getting played at Arrowhead Stadium for Kansas City Chiefs victories during the 2023 season, and cameras caught Taylor Swift surfin’ along with Brittany Mahomes and Donna Kelce. Which brings us to…

Homecoming Atlanta Falcons staple this season

“Swag Surfin” has taken off for Atlanta Falcons games this season, so much so that Kirk Cousins noticed it finally during their last home game, and did his very Kirk Cousins version in his postgame interview.

Fast forward to tonight, and Thursday Night Football reporter Taylor Rooks, an Atlanta Native, made Cousins end his sit-down interview with a proper version of “Swag Surfin.” Mook McGrady, one of the three members of F.L.Y., noticed and fully approved. 

"That work, Kirk,” Mook yelled, "That's too hard!"

During the game, Amazon Prime cameras showed the crowd in full “Swag Surfin” unison along with another hip hop legend, Ludacris.

It just gives you goosebumps. 

Which brings us full circle to Cousins, who did something that was full of excitement and exuberance after an emotional, thrilling overtime victory.

It was an adorably goofy dad dance, but it was not “Swag Surfin.”

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Matthew Graham
MATTHEW GRAHAM

Matthew Graham has over 20 years of media experience and oversees The Athlete Lifestyle On SI. He has had previous leadership roles at NBC Sports, Yahoo, and USA TODAY, where he co-founded For The Win (named Best Mobile Site by Digiday). He has also written for ESPN, Cosmopolitan, US Weekly, People, E! Online, and FHM, covering major sports and entertainment events like the Oscars, the Golden Globes, NBA Finals, Super Bowl, and winning the Yahoo Superstar Award for coverage of the Olympics.

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