Driver scores, displays happy feet in end zone
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- In just four days, Packers wide receiver Donald Driver went from an unfamiliar role as a benchwarmer on the sideline to an area he's much more accustomed to: the endzone at Lambeau Field.
Driver, the franchise's all-time leading receiver, didn't treat this touchdown like he has the 59 in his career that preceded it, either. After achieving newfound fame as the winner on the most recent season of "Dancing with the Stars," Driver celebrated accordingly with a nifty move.
"That's the dance that won 'Dancing with the Stars,' so I had to bring it out," Driver said. "I said once I score I was going to bring the dance out."
It was Driver's only catch in the game, but early in the fourth quarter, Aaron Rodgers got him the ball from 26 yards out to give Green Bay a 23-3 lead against the division rival Chicago Bears.
Driver didn't play much in this game, which the Packers ended up winning 23-10, but it was more than he was on the field in a loss to the 49ers on Sunday. Driver played just three snaps against San Francisco, with those opportunities only coming about as a result of fellow receiver Greg Jennings getting hurt.
With Jennings out of Thursday's game due to a groin injury, Driver's first and only catch so far this season got the home crowd as loud as they were all night.
"When the opportunity presents itself, you have to make the best of it," Driver said after the game. "I got the opportunity tonight to make some plays. I just went straight down the middle (and) I guess they decided not to cover me. They left me wide open."
Driver, 37, wouldn't say that this touchdown meant anything extra to him. But, for a veteran player who appears to be getting somewhat phased out of the offense, Driver did catch the only touchdown thrown by Rodgers all game.
Though the dance that he showed off for the fans was a new addition to his celebration repertoire, the Lambeau Leap that followed was very traditional. However, once Driver planted himself in the first row, the Packers' fans apparently didn't want the moment to end.
"They wouldn't let me down," Driver said. "So I had tell them, I had to scream to let me down. They ended up letting me go after a while."
Follow Paul Imig on Twitter