For Sunday’s NFL Conference finals, expect a steady diet of orchestrated end zone celebrations and other zany sideshows, minus the fear of penalty.

It wasn’t always that way.

Back in the day, players were wary of rocking the boat and stuck to a more conventional style of etiquette and attire, on and off the field. Some dared to be different, however. Here are a few trendsetters from the archives.

Fashion was their passion

Lennie Moore: Football cleats were traditionally black high tops, that is, until Moore joined the Baltimore Colts in 1956. Moore white-taped the tops of his cleats to look like snazzier low tops, earning him the nickname “Spats.”

Billy Johnson: Like Moore before him, Johnson wasn’t into dreary black cleats. But instead of adding tape to alter the look, he shocked many by wearing all-white cleats. He came to be known as Billy “White Shoes” Johnson.

John “Frenchy” Fuqua: The flashy halfback came to the games during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ glory run in the 1970s wearing platform shoes with see-through heels containing water and live fish inside them. He matched the fish color with the rest of his attire.

Lester Hayes: Neatness didn’t count with the Oakland Raiders’ defensive back in the 1980s. Known as “Lester the Molester,” he used excessive adhesive Stickum not only on his hands, but on his arms and uniform. The NFL later banned the grimy substance.

Heads up

Otis Sistrunk: The shaved head look, while routine today, was anything but when the huge defensive lineman joined Oakland in the 1970s. He was a cameraman’s dream. On cold days, steam would rise from his bare noggin.

Al Harris: Old-time fans couldn’t believe their eyes when Harris showed up in the Green Bay Packers’ defensive backfield in the early 2000s. Harris is considered the first player to have long dreadlocks dangling from under his helmet.

Look at me

Elmo Wright: As a rookie in 1971 with the Kansas City Chiefs, the wide receiver did something no one had seen. Instead of politely tossing the ball to the referee after a touchdown, he aggressively threw it down. Thus, he is credited with introducing the “spike.” Wright is also believed to be the first player to perform end-zone celebration dances.

R.C. Owens: A spectacular leaper, the 1956 NCAA rebounding champ at the College of Idaho was the first to invite passes when fully covered. He out-jumped defenders, like it was a jump ball, earning the nickname “Alley Oop” with the San Francisco 49ers. Just as notably, in 1961 Owens sprung above the cross bar to block a field goal, goal-tending style. It resulted in the NFL passing a rule to eliminate such a tactic.

Elbert “Ickey” Woods: He was star running back at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. He then brought Vegas-style entertainment to the NFL with his signature touchdown dance, “The Ickey Shuffle.” It became all the rage in 1988 when his team, the Cincinnati Bengals, reached the Super Bowl.

Fun Bunch: In Washington in 1982, a cluster of receivers collaborated following touchdowns with a collective, airborne high-five that fully irritated foes. The Fun Bunch consisted of Art Monk, Virgil Seay, Charlie Brown and Alvin Garrett.

Chad Johnson: In October 2006, the Cincinnati Bengals star who wore the No. 85 jersey turned heads by changing the name on the back of his jersey. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, he wore “Ocho Cinco,” which is 85 in Spanish.

Terrell Owens: While with the Philadelphia Eagles, the receiver capped off his touchdowns with such dances as the “Dirty Bird” and “Wing Flap.” With Dallas in 2006, Owens caught a touchdown pass and dropped the football in a Salvation Army Red Kettle, saying, “That’s my donation.”   

Joe Horn: In a 2003 Sunday night game, the New Orleans Saints receiver caught his second of what would be four touchdowns. He celebrated by pulling a planted cell phone from the goal post padding and pretended to make a call.

Showman supreme

Deion Sanders: Few put on a show like the defensive back-kick returner known as “Prime Time.” On long touchdowns, he’d place one hand on his helmet, glam style, cocking his head to one side, while styling and profiling into the end zone.

Sanders liked to wear colorful “do-rags” that easily were spotted from the back of his helmet. At his NFL Hall of Fame induction in 2007, he broke up the audience by placing a “do-rag” on his bronzed bust. Now that’s being different.