There have been no reports of Joe Kowalewski screaming "Show me the money!" after Sunday's loss to the Redskins, but that hasn’t stopped his teammates from referring to the young tight end as Rod Tidwell, the flashy movie character played by Cuba Gooding Jr. in the 1996 Oscar-winning movie "Jerry McGuire."

“I don’t care, they can say whatever they want,” Kowalewski said in good spirits on Monday. “It doesn’t matter to me as long as I got in that end zone. That’s what you work hard for, to get those opportunities. So when you score, that’s the time to let it loose. That’s when you have your fun, right there.”

After collecting a 1-yard pass from Kellen Clemens, Kowalewski quickly shuffled over the goal line for his first career NFL touchdown. For those unaware of that fact prior to the catch, they were undoubtedly able to tell afterwards as his celebratory rage could have wiped out a small village.

“It was just unreal,” said Kowalewski, who hauled in the pass despite the ball getting deflected by Skins DE Phillip Daniels. "I was so pumped. I've waited my whole life for this. Just to get in that end zone meant everything to me. It makes all the hard work and everything in the off-season worth it. It was great, it really was.”

The celebration began with a simple leap into the arms of fellow tight end Chris Baker near the goal line pylon. Kowalewski followed that up with an earth-trembling spike near the uprights and then gave a complimentary round of bearhugs for everyone and anyone wearing green and white on the sideline.

One Kowalewski "victim" was Chad Pennington, who went public on the ordeal in the locker room Monday.

“He about knocked my front tooth out,” laughed Pennington. “It’s good to see a young guy like that be excited. It’s like he won the lottery. It’s exciting to see young guys like that because it’s what you need, in a time like this, to keep the excitement going.”

Kowalewski still had some adrenaline left in the tank for a grand finale — and perhaps enough to run the New York City Marathon, which was wrapping up just miles away during his frenzy. While he had the fans still on their feet, he rushed to the side of the Jets bench screaming and waving his arms to get the crowd even more fired up.

“I play with a lot of emotion and I just couldn't control it,” he told reporters after the game.

Some may look at such a celebration as a little over the top, but that’s only because they probably don’t know the football history that led up to this cherished moment.

Kowalewski is one of only a handful of players that defied NFL odds when he made the Jets’ 2006 practice squad after his one and only shot at professional stardom; a rookie minicamp tryout in May. For undrafted players, this minicamp is a weekend of hoping to catch a scout’s eye. It is common to see players leave town after just one unimposing session.

“It’s been a long, long time when you think about it — much longer than it actually is,” he recalled of his first few days at the Jets complex last year. “It’s been a long, tough journey, but it’s been exciting and fun at the same time.

“But this [touchdown] is the payoff for all of the hard work and tough times — especially when I was constantly thinking I was going to get cut,” said Kowalewski, preoccupied with that thought throughout the early days of his rookie season in Hempstead.

“I’ve learned how to deal with it now, but when I first got here it was all I thought about,” he said. “It was tough being in my situation. Plus you hear about all the guys getting cut and then you even see the stuff first-hand.”

According to Kowalewski, his second season in Hempstead has been far more comforting, yet physically it has been just as unpredictable and erratic as the Jets’ 1-8 season. The 24-year-old is just as hard on himself as an experienced veteran would be.

“Just this whole year, I felt like our team goals haven't been accomplished," he said. "And personally, I felt like I haven't done much.

“I feel like I haven’t done enough for this team to help us win,” he added. “The first time we played Buffalo I kind of had a rough game and missed some assignments and went on the inactive list. That’s when Coach Mangini told me there’s going to be ups and downs, especially in the NFL, and you have to ride them out.”