Yoga, ox tail, and buying Mac products are all in the cards for our former Bengals player Ricardo McDonald. This PPI insider, NFLPA member, activist, and father of four is busy in his hometown of Houston this holiday.
Ricardo was able to check in with Pro Player Insider’s Theresa Villano to reflect on how Christmas will be in the McDonald’s house this season.
Pro Player Insiders: Ricardo, how are you these days? How areTammara and the kids?
RM: It’s great. Wonderful, and the weather is hot just like I like it for the holidays.
PPI: What is your favorite food for Christmas that your wife or mother made growing up? Is there a favorite Jamaican treat?
RM: Ox tail. It’s very famous on the island (Jamaica). I absolutely love it. When I was in college and growing up my mother would do whatever it takes to put ox tail on the table for us kids. Now, as I get older, I am more conscious what I put in my body, so my wife likes to make tilapia fish for the family too.
PPI: Is there a favorite McDonald Christmas tradition?
RM: We start with a morning prayer. The kids basically take 2 or 3 minutes to devour the presents and there will be wrapping paper everywhere. It’s a lot of unwrapping gifts. I step up and usually I’ll cook breakfast after that.
PPI: I like that Ricardo will be cooking breakfast on Christmas morning.
RM: Absolutely!
PPI: You have four kids in the McDonald home. What is the hot item they are begging for this year?
RM: Oh my gosh! They want anything electronic. I need to invest in Apple, anything they want is from Apple (chuckles). You name it, iPhones, and everything from Apple.
PPI: How are holidays different for guys (NFL players) while they play?
RM: That is a very, very good question.
RM: It is like when playing football you have two families. You have your football family and personal family. You get that chance to have that time at the team facility to celebrate with your team.You eventually lose that when you’re not playing, you lose the football family aspect of things. The guys that you are always around aren’t there anymore to spend time with you. You lose your locker room family.
PPI: My last Holiday question for you and Team McDonald: What is your wish for the new year?
RM: I want to be completely healthy. I’m really big into yoga, I want to get my wife to accept the world of yoga. I want her to start attending a few classes with me.
PPI: I love it and I am telling her. (chuckles) “Accept the world of yoga”…I hope she hears this.
RM: I want her to say, “Namaste” (meaning: greetings, I bow to you) and do a couple downward dogs. All that is associated with yoga. I tell her about breathe and breathing all the time. She looks at me like I am this wild man from another planet. I want to embrace the world of yoga.
PPI: Actually I have heard a lot of players doing yoga and pilates for core strength. I would love to see you on camera giving yoga tips.
RM: Yoga has helped me be able to stand on my head for 10 minutes. Literally stand on my head no wall, I can stand on my head.
PPI: Wow! Could you do that while you were playing football?
RM: No! It’s because of yoga.
Signing off with Holiday wishes filled with yoga and Apple products from Team McDonald.
Follow @Theresa _ppi @PlayerInsiders
Credits: Mindy Schwaegel video-audio editing
