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The evolution of Charlie Strong's dab: An illustrated history

Charlie done dabbed on them folks.

By Wescott Eberts
Charlie Strong dabbing
Charlie Strong dabbing
Texas athletics

Chris Daniels started it all. When Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong held his in-home visit with the Euless Trinity defensive tackle he began recruiting in earnest only a day before he committed to the Oklahoma Sooners, Daniels made a request that would set in motion a burgeoning sensation among Texas players, recruits, and fans.

"I didn't know what the dab was, myself. I was at [Chris] Daniel's and he said, 'Hey coach, we got to dab.' I said, 'Dab?'And he said 'Yeah, we got to do the dab.'"

And so Strong did the dab. That's how recruiting goes, right?

No doubt -- look at that poor form on his dab. That peeking was not something that could continue if Strong was going to go dabbing across the state and into National Signing Day, though Strong does deserve some style points for flashing the hook 'em sign with his extended arm in a moment of improvisation.

Fortunately, there was someone to protect the uncompromisable aspects of dabbing and help Strong refine his technique so the Longhorns could finish the recruiting class the right way -- his daughter.

"Then when I got home my daughter Hope told me, 'Dad this is the way you dab. Don't do it like that anymore.' So I let her teach me how to do it."

A quick learner, Strong was able to debut his new and improved dab the next evening in the Houston area with wide receiver commit Reggie Hemphill, the Manvel product affectionately known as Recruiter Reggie.

It's a little bit hard to tell in his picture, but it looks like Strong may have further refined his dab by adding a second hook' em with his right hand. Stay tuned on that for future confirmation.

By this point, Charlie Strong dabbing was becoming something of a sensation, so when wide receiver Lorenzo Joe and some other players were hanging out around the football offices, they interrupted their head coach on what was likely a recruiting phone call to request a dab of their own. He obliged.

We've got a reversion of form here from Strong, but we'll set it slide since one hand was occupied with the phone.

Then, on National Signing Day, Strong and his staff were watching the announcement of LSU defensive end/outside linebacker commit Erick Fowler, the Manor product whose mother wanted him at Texas. Like the general public, Strong and his staff had no idea where Fowler was going. In fact, when Strong had called the night before, his brother had told him that Fowler was in the shower. When Strong called again, he was told that Fowler was asleep. He didn't believe it, but there wasn't really anything to do but wait and hope.

So when Fowler surprised everyone with his decision to flip to and sign with Texas, there was the type of rejoicing that one would expect in that situation. And the Texas players hanging out there wanted a celebratory dab. For good reason -- they were merely performing a public service for us all.

Once the class was in place and Strong completed his National Signing Day press conference, there was one last dab to do.

Unencumbered by a phone or caught up in the moment of a big celebration, Strong's form was fitting for the moment -- refined, thanks to Hope, and featuring his own little twist of two hook 'em hand signs.

You dabbed on 'em good, coach.

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