Two-time Super Bowl champion Danny Amendola finished in fifth place during the latest season of Dancing with the Stars. His final performances of the year very quickly turned awkward after Dwight Howard misconstrued a reference to football as something far more sexual.
To make matters worse, a subtle tribute to Mike Leach was also twisted in a similar manner by an audience that did not understand what it meant.
Amendola played 14 years in the NFL. Football players “strap up” their helmet and shoulder pads. When he uses the words “strap it up,” the former Cowboy, Eagle, Ram, Patriot, Dolphin, Lion and Texan is talking about how he would “strap up” before a game or before a play. It is not “strap on” it is “strap up.”
to the best teammate, toughest guys & realest cat walking. glad to strap it up w you Senor. @jerod_mayo51 #captain pic.twitter.com/gjmvXTx7e2
— Danny Amendola (@DannyAmendola) February 17, 2016
Amendola used the expression in proper context after his first game back from an injury in 2021.
I felt good. I felt good. Anytime you get to get out there, put your cleats on, strap up, it’s a blessing. Very grateful to be part of this team, part of this group.
— Danny Amendola
Howard must not be familiar with the term. He (and a few people standing near him) made a befuddled face after hearing Amendola say “strap up” during his post-dance interview. Julianne Hough also doubled down on the saying, which drew even more attention to the awkwardness.
Amendola didn’t seem to understand the reaction to what he said, but DWTS host Alfonso Ribeiro made sure to clarify that “strap up” is a football phrase. It was twisted to mean something very different.
Danny Amendola was not making a sexual reference.
Here’s the kicker— Howard was sued by a man named Stephen Harper in 2023, who claimed he was sexually assaulted and forced him into a threesome. The eight-time NBA All-Star made it abundantly clear that he “ain’t gotta tell nobody where he puts his wood at” after a cross-dressing man named “Kitty” became a key witness in the case. I only bring this up to say that Howard’s bewildered facial expression when he heard Amendola say “strap up” might stem from prior experience. It was awkward!
Later in the show, Carrie Ann Inaba called back to the “strap up” misunderstanding. She also told him to “swing his sword,” which was something that legendary college football coach Mike Leach always said before his untimely passing. Amendola played for Leach at Texas Tech.
Believe it or not, fans of ‘Dancing with the Stars‘ are not familiar with the Leachism so they giggled. Danny Amendola knew exactly what the judge was saying but the audience just assumed she was talking about a very different kind of sword. Oops!