As we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, many Eagles, like most of us, are spending the day with family and friends. Linebacker Jamar Chaney and his fiancée, along with a few other teammates, are spending the day at the house of wide receiver Jason Avant. Teammates and brothers Dallas and Matt Reynolds are enjoying time together with their respective families. Safety Colt Anderson and defensive end Darryl Tapp will each be enjoying their first Thanksgiving with newborns.
So what are some of the Eagles thankful for? Let's take a trip around the locker room.
Defensive tackle Mike Patterson: I'm just thankful to be back on the field this year. There was a lot of stuff going on but I'm just happy to be back on the field and part of this team still.
Quarterback Nick Foles: I'm always thankful for my friends and family. I've always had great family support and I'm just thankful for all of them. They support me no matter what, if I play good or have a rough game like the other day. They've always been there and I'm thankful for that.
Defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins: I'm thankful for my family, one. My wife and kids. I have a beautiful wife, beautiful daughters who are healthy. That's the biggest thing I'm thankful for.
Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: I'm really thankful for the many blessings the lord has put in my life and the people he's surrounded me with to share the blessings that he has given me. So it's really the people around me.
Running back Dion Lewis: I'm most thankful for being in the NFL and for being in the opportunity that I'm in now, making sure my family's ok. I'm happy to be where I am now.
Fullback Stanley Havili: A lot of things. I'm thankful for my beautiful wife, my beautiful daughter, having a job here, the list goes on. I'm thankful for a lot of things.
Linebacker Jamar Chaney: I'm just thankful to be alive and blessed. My family's doing good. Just those things right there. Just thankful for salvation in my lord and savior Jesus Christ. Those are the things I'm thankful for.
Defensive end Darryl Tapp: I'm thankful for waking up. A lot of people can't say the same thing every day. So much stuff going on, I'm happy to have this opportunity to play and have a healthy family.
Tight end Brent Celek: I'm thankful for everything; my family, this place, this city. I've made this city my home now. I couldn't be happier. I wish we were winning some more games, but other than that, I'm happy here.
Offensive lineman Matt Reynolds: I'm thankful for a job, my family and my many blessings.
Defensive end Jason Babin: I'm thankful for my two boys becoming young men.
Defensive tackle Cedric Thornton: I'm thankful for this opportunity that I have to present all my hard work to my immediate family, my kids and my immediate family. My little boy turned 5, and this is his first time actually being able to stay with me because in college I was chasing this dream. So I'm just thankful that God gave me this opportunity just to show my family that I wasn't BS'ing, I was working hard for them.
Of course, Thanksgiving is also about, as wide receiver DeSean Jackson said, "eating food." As you might imagine, football players pack a pretty big appetite. What are their favorite Thanksgiving foods? Let's check in first with the linebackers:
Mychal Kendricks: My favorite Thanksgiving food is the Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches that you make from leftovers the next day. (I put in) everything, turkey, ham, stuffing, green bean casserole with that too. Cranberry sauce, it has to be the canned kind though. It can't be the homemade kind.
DeMeco Ryans: What?
Kendricks: The canned, bro. I kill at least half a plate. Say I have one plate, I take at least half the can.
Ryans: By itself?
Ryan Rau: I like the yams with the marshmallow.
Kendricks: I can't forget the yams.
Ryans: Sweet potato pie. D Ryans signing off.
What about the rest of the players?
Defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins: We'll have a turkey, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, chitlins of course. Got to be chitlins, number one thing.
Safety Kurt Coleman: My dad's baked beans.
Offensive lineman Evan Mathis: Honey baked ham.
Safety Colt Anderson: My mom's stuffing.
Defensive end Darryl Tapp: Sweet potato casserole.
Defensive tackle Cedric Thornton: Chitlins. I love chitlins, I'm a country boy.
Defensive end Jason Babin: It's all about the turkey.
We'll give the final word to Rodgers-Cromartie, a self-proclaimed "pie man," pumpkin pie specifically. Rodgers-Cromartie says that he loves eating during Thanksgiving so much that, well, we'll let him take it from here:
"I'm going house hunting, whoever will have me for a plate. I'm like the grinch who stole Thanksgiving."
