Ham or turkey? Texas football players tell us which Thanksgiving staple ranks supreme
What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?
Most of the Texas football team are probably grateful that they still have a shot at the College Football Playoff thanks to their 10-1 standing, courtesy of their latest victory over Iowa State. A win vs. Texas Tech on Friday will gift them with an early Christmas present: a berth in the Big 12 Title game.
Before that, though, is Thanksgiving, and players spoke at the Monday press conference about a multitude of things related to the holiday. Thankfulness was the big theme, but the turkey vs. ham debate raged while one player admitted to being an early Christmas enjoyer.
Here's what they said:
What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?
OL Christian Jones:
"Coach Kyle Flood."
Earlier: "Even to this day, coaching me hard man telling me things that I need to hear. And just believing in me, man like, for real...Like, coach Flood definitely changed my life. I'm not saying that like cliché-y. The evidence is there, and he's a great individual. Great, great leader. Great teacher. Great coach, man. I'm forever grateful for him."
WR Jordan Whittington:
"I'm thankful for a lot of things but right now, what's been on my mind is just all the adversity and bad stuff. All the pain I've been through, all the negative stuff, all the adversity, all the struggle that I've been through that got me to this point. I'm really, really thankful for it. When you're younger, you see it as a bad thing, but now I'm just looking at it as like a lesson. So I'm thankful for everything I've been put through."
LB David Gbenda:
"I'm thankful for this team, my family, just waking up, the ability to even just be here, to have this opportunity to talk to you all. This great university, like I'm not gonna lie if I keep saying, we're just gonna keep going on and on."
DB Jahdae Barron
"I'm thankful just the opportunity to just wake up every day. I live the dream that I used to think of when I was a kid, so just being able to play in DKR, it's been amazing. It's just been a blessing for me."
Okay, but let's get to it: ham or turkey?
Jones:
"I'm a ham guy. Don't eat turkey, only turkey I have is my mom's jerk turkey. That's good, that's very, very good."
Whittington:
"Turkey guy for sure."
Gbenda:
"I did have a nice ham last night, a nice glazed Ham. Ooh, it was chef's kiss, it was really good."
Barron:
"I probably say Turkey. I'm really not a kind of Thanksgiving guy. It's crazy. Christmas. I'm a Christmas guy."
Best Thanksgiving side?
Jones:
"I would say, like green beans, green casserole, mashed potatoes, anything but dressing and cranberry. Anything but that."
Whittington:
"I like mac and cheese with all the different cheeses, stuffing and everything. I like anything I can eat to be honest with you."
Gbenda:
"I'd say mac and cheese. Mac and cheese or stuffing."
Barron:
N/A. His birthday is Dec. 4 though.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Ham or Turkey? Texas football answer burning Thanksgiving questions
