Rico Dowdle’s touchdown celebration cost him $14,491, but it also sparked something bigger. The Carolina Panthers running back turned a fine into a fundraiser, raising thousands of dollars for the Children’s Home Society of North Carolina.

In an Instagram story shared by WCNC’s Danielle Stein, Dowdle presented a GoFundMe check of $45,000 to the Children’s Home Society of North Carolina. He began the campaign in response to the NFL’s fine against him during his game against the Green Bay Packers earlier this month, where he performed a “two-pump” celebration, thrusting his hips twice, right after one of his touchdowns in the game.

The referee threw a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, and he was fined for the same. The Running Back argued about the decision later on his X as he thought a two pump celebration was allowed.

“From my understanding and everything I’ve learned, we go over stuff like this every week in the meeting room,” Dowdle said in an interview. “I definitely think you’re supposed to get two pumps.” 

In keeping with the playful spirit of the Key & Peele sketch that inspired his two-pump celebration, Dowdle later revealed another twist. The GoFundMe campaign was initially a tongue-in-cheek response to the NFL fine. The running back made it clear he planned to appeal the $14,491 penalty, but the joke quickly turned serious when donations poured in. What began as humor on the field became a real-world win for a worthy cause.

“It was a joke at first,” Rico Dowdle said. “It turned into something much bigger.[…]Thankfully, everybody was able to actually donate to a greater cause. Those kids are really needy people in the foundation.”

The GoFundMe campaign quickly gained traction. Keegan-Michael Key and his wife, Elle, also boosted it with a $15,000 donation. Key criticized the fine, insisting the “two-pump” celebration was allowed.

Dowdle drew the move from Key’s 2013 comedy skit, where he portrayed an NFL player penalized only after a third hip thrust. However, what’s always on TV isn’t always accurate. A former referee explained his penalty, stating that he wasn’t very “subtle” with his actions.

Despite the lighthearted origins, the campaign became meaningful, giving Dowdle the chance to visit the Children’s Home Society and share what the experience taught him.

Rico Dowdle shares his experience from visiting the CHSNC Charity

Eventually, the fine led to Dowdle making a special visit to the Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, bringing smiles and excitement for the kids. While the children were a bit shy around the NFL running back, the moment was memorable and full of joy.

“They didn’t really ask too many questions,” Dowdle said when asked how he spent time with the kids. “Handshakes, high-fives and things like that.”

The amount of money he raised through the campaign surprised Rico Dowdle. Despite the quiet curiosity, the experience left an impression on him, showing him just how far a small gesture could reach.

“It definitely was surprising of how much we were able to raise,” Dowdle said. “Like I said, a lot of athletes have platforms, and I was just happy I was able to use my platform in a positive way for this to turn out this good. I didn’t expect it to be this much from the beginning.”

Turning a fine into a charity campaign is not a common practice. However, there have been other notable examples of actions similar to that of Rico Dowdle.

In 2019, the NFL fined Demario Davis $7,017 for wearing a “Man of God” headband, which they ruled as a uniform violation. He then proceeded to sell headbands with “Man of God,” “Woman of God,” and “Child of God” imprints, which raised over $250,000. All of which was donated to the emergency department at St. Dominic Hospital in Mississippi.

Like Davis before him, Dowdle could have let the fine sting and fade into the background. Instead, he flipped the script, using the spotlight to create real impact. What started as a “two-pump” celebration turned into a boost, proving that even penalties can spark something far bigger than the game itself.