ALLEN PARK — Simply put, Thursday is an important day for several members of the Detroit Lions.
It’s not only because Thursday marks another test in their division crown quest as they host the Green Bay Packers for the annual holiday showdown, but specifically because it’s Thanksgiving Day. This is a moment when players can relax a little bit, take a step away from the game, and enjoy some quality time with loved ones that they normally don’t get during the season.
It’s also a moment for them to partake in fun family traditions while indulging in some of their favorite foods.
Ahead of the annual Thanksgiving Day game, MLive caught up with several Lions players to learn about their family traditions, their favorite and least favorite food items, and the answer to the most important question in the world — one that their head coach voiced an opinion on: which pie is better between sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie.
Here is how they answered:
Beyond the Thanksgiving Day game, what other traditions do you and your family typically enjoy during this time of the year?
Josh Reynolds: “It’s just more of a gathering period for us to all be in the same space together, enjoy each other’s company. Yeah, that’s pretty much it. We do our normal— I wouldn’t say normal size, but our traditional size. I think this year we might switch it up a little bit. I think my wife is trying to get a little crazy with the menu, so I guess we’ll see what she comes up with.”
Tracy Walker III: “We spend quality time. We just want to go enjoy the quality family time that you usually don’t get during the season, so it is a great holiday for that, and it is a great moment just to rejoice.”
Kalif Raymond: “We got some dishes! My sister cooks some mac and cheese. My mom cooks some pretty good meals. We play a couple of games. We played Heads Up the last couple of years and then Phase 10.”
Alim McNeill: “If it’s just a regular Thanksgiving, we’ll be down at Grandma’s house. The whole family will be down there, but it’d be nothing special or nothing. We just go down there and eat. Our whole family would be down there. We’ll be watching the (Thanksgiving Day) games, not knowing that I’d be playing in it now, but we’d be watching the football games. Just chilling, relaxing.”
When you’re dishing up your first plate on Thanksgiving, what’s usually on it? What’s your favorite combo or your ultimate “go-to” plate?
Reynolds: “Honestly, everything that’s cooked—I need everything that was made that day. It doesn’t matter what it is; be it stuffing, man. If we ain’t got no stuffing, give me some other stuff, I don’t know, man. Honestly, I eat everything. I just make my plate for me, and I’m going to go to town.”
Walker III: “I gotta have the collard greens, the macaroni and cheese. Definitely need cornbread. Gotta have a sweet potato pie for sure. You can have turkey. Now, actually, see where I’m from, we have ribs, all that, so yeah, it’s just however you grew up. But yeah, I need that full meal.”
Raymond: “Some rice. Rice with whatever else. It doesn’t matter. As long as I got some rice, I’m good.”
McNeill: “First plate will be turkey, green beans, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, maybe a little bit of dressing. And then we got some chocolate cake too.”
On the flip side, what’s the one thing that absolutely has to stay far away from your plate?
Reynolds: “I ain’t a fan of yams, man. I don’t know why. I’m not a fan of them, but everything else, yeah. Candied yams though? You could pass me on that.”
Walker III: “Dressing. I don’t want no dressing. No cranberry sauce, no dressing? No, I’m straight outta that.”
Raymond: “Far away from my plate? Anything like zucchini, squash, and what’s the other one called? The purple-looking one? Eggplant! Eggplant? Those three? Oh, goodness.”
McNeill: “On Thanksgiving? Everything’s getting ate! There ain’t nothing that I ain’t touching for real. Everything. Get the cranberry (sauce), dressing, turkey, of course. Mac and cheese, green beans—all that’s getting touched by me.”
Dan Campbell recently mentioned on the team’s flagship radio station that he favors sweet potato pie over pumpkin pie. What’s your take on that, and what pie gets your vote?
Reynolds: “I don’t know if I’ve actually had a sweet potato pie. I’m more of a pumpkin pie guy. My mom makes a good (expletive) little pumpkin pie. Yeah.”
Walker III: “See, that’s why Dan is my coach because me and him? Great minds think alike. You need exactly what he said, and I’m willing to vouch for everything he said. Hey, sweet potato pie is the best, so hey, gotta hold it down for it.”
Raymond: “Sweet potato pie over pumpkin pie? Sweet potato pie goes crazy too, though. I don’t know. Huh. But then Bernie Mac says pumpkin pie tastes good, though. Yeah. I don’t know. I can’t really think. I don’t know, but see, I’m not a good guy to ask though because when I eat, the way I eat, I eat like a rabbit. So I eat for what’s in it. I don’t necessarily eat for taste. All it needs is a little hot sauce on whatever it is, and I’m solid. So it could be pumpkin pie with hot sauce, as long as I got some.”
McNeill: “What’s crazy is I don’t like neither one. I like sweet over pumpkin though. But I don’t like neither one actually.”
“I don’t know if you know what a bean pie is. That’s what my mom makes—a lot of bean pies all the time. So usually, a bean pie. A lot of people don’t know what it is, but that’s my go-to, a bean pie.”
Hey, don’t forget about Jared Goff!
Jared Goff is aiming for a bounce-back performance on Thursday against the Packers, eager to leave behind this past Sunday’s showing. However, the Pro Bowl quarterback is also anticipating indulging in some delectable post-game food. During a media session on Tuesday, Goff shared details about his signature Thanksgiving plates and revealed his pie preferences.
“Turkey, standard. Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, maybe green beans. I mean, mac and cheese would be good with something. Pretty standard. Nothing abnormal,” Goff said.
But what about the pie?
“Depends, I like pumpkin,” Goff said. “I know that’s not very popular. I like pumpkin, I like sweet potato pie as well.”
