Pro Player Insider Melissa Mahler had some holiday fun closing out the year by asking a few members of our NFL family Reggie Kelly, LaMar Campbell, Tory and Ebony Humphrey and Don Davey about food, Christmas traditions, Santa and wishes for 2013.
What are the holidays like for guys playing in the NFL?
RK: You don’t get the opportunity to focus on the holiday season as much as you like. There is a part of you that is enjoying the festivities of the holiday season but the other part is that you has to remain focused on your job and be prepared to perform on the field.
LC: The funny thing is when you’re in college and then the NFL you get used to playing football for the holidays. You’re almost never with your family but it also gives you an opportunity to invite your family out to a Bowl game or another game when you’re in the NFL. It takes some time to get used to being home for the holidays once your career is over but you begin to remember how special those moments are and what you were missing.
DD: Christmas is typically an important game week in the NFL because playoff spots are on the line. Our families typically visit us and we have an abbreviated Christmas on Friday afternoon after a shortened practice.
Tell me one of your favorite Christmas traditions or memories.
RK: When my kids got older enough to open their own gifts and to see the excitement in their eyes at the gifts Santa left them.
LC: My Christmas tradition, before there was 24 hours of Christmas Story, was to watch Christmas Story with my Grandmother. Now I continue that tradition with my 5 -year old son. My favorite Christmas memory would be my rookie year in Detroit when I could finally buy my grandmother the Grandfather Clock she had always wanted.
TH: Our most memorable Christmas was one that humbled us. We were struggling financially as sophomores in college. We had no clue what Christmas would be like for our daughter or us. We had no money for a tree, its fixings or presents, at the last minute someone donated us a tree that they no longer wanted. At the last minute we were able to gather just enough money to decorate the tree where it would sparkle. With the rest of the money we made one last purchase, and that was for a special ornament for our daughter. As we sat there on Christmas Day with only three gifts under the tree I realized that our daughter was happier with us being together than she was with a tree and gifts. On that day I knew that happiness is not in the abundance of things and that lasting memories come from other things not just material pleasures.
DD: Every year we take our five daughters up to Grandma’s log cabin in Wisconsin for Christmas, and we almost always have snow.
What is your favorite Christmas food?
RK: My favorite food believe it or not are the dessert and my wife’s pecan pies top the list.
LC: My favorite is holiday sugar cookies; everyone seems to step up their baking game during the holidays.
TH: My Family enjoys my homemade baked macaroni and cheese, and candied yams for Christmas.
DD: Johnsonville bratwurst at Lambeau Field in -10 degree weather in the snow!
Do you exchange presents on Christmas Eve?
RK: No we do it on Christmas Day
LC: No, my family always opens gifts after Christmas dinner with the exception that the kids of course were free to open them as soon as we woke up.
TH: We mix things up. One Christmas we celebrated days ahead of time.
DD: No. Santa does not arrive until the middle of the night.
Where will you be spending the holiday this year?
RK: At home with my wife and kids
LC: I will be in Atlanta with my family.
TH: We will be celebrating Christmas at our home near Detroit, MI.
DD: We will be with my wife Kristen’s family in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
What is your wish for the New Year?
RK: To become a swimsuit model. (laughter)
LC: If I could have one wish for the New Year it is that people would open themselves to be agents of change and get back to helping one another out. Mean people suck!
TH: Our wish for the holidays is for peace in people’s lives, and homes.
DD: My wish is that all five of our daughters (ages 16, 14, 12, 9, and 4) somehow stay these ages forever.
Follow Melissa Mahler on twitter @Melissa_PPI & @PlayerInsiders
Don Davey @DonDavey92
Reggie Kelly @ReggieKelly82
LaMar Campbell @LifeAfterTGame
Tory Humphrey @ToryHumphrey
Ebony Humphrey @EBH_Ministries
