(AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)
Despite being mired in a two-game losing streak, the Atlanta Falcons still have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.
Fans will point to the positive direction of the team under the leadership of General Manager Thomas Dimitroff and Head Coach Mike Smith as to what they're most thankful for.
The players surely appreciate it too. What's being built in Atlanta is a team of hardworking players, motivated to excel. The locker room is filled with a positive vibe of guys that appreciate the company of each other and are willing to go out of their way to support their teammate.
Even though the Falcons will spend much of Thanksgiving Day practicing in preparation for the Buccaneers on Sunday, there will still be time to celebrate with their families. For many of the young guys yet to truly settle in in Atlanta, they've flown in their families.
Second-year safety Thomas DeCoud brought in his parents and his girlfriend's family, ready to celebrate the holiday in simple fashion.
"We're having a good, big family meal and will enjoy the holiday," the '09 starting free safety said.
When asked what he was thankful for, DeCoud acknowledged that he's fortunate to not only earn a paycheck, but a professional athlete's paycheck. With that responsibility comes the expectation of providing for those that helped him get there and he embraces the opportunity to do so, recognizing the struggles of many in the community in which he lives.
"(I'm thankful) just to be in the position I'm in," he said. "The state our economy is in right now and just to be able to provide for the small family that I do have. I'm really blessed and I'm really happy and thankful to be in the position that I'm in now."
One of the leaders of the defense, veteran linebacker Mike Peterson, echoes DeCoud's sentiments of sharing the wealth. After 11 years in the NFL, Peterson is thankful to still be around and helping out where he can.
"I'm just blessed to be alive and breathing," the linebacker said on Wednesday. "I'm also thankful for the position that I'm in now. Me being in the position that I'm in, I try to help out those that are less fortunate at this time during the year."
When the topic turns to food, the players gladly will discuss their Thanksgiving plans, despite how varied they are. For offensive linemen, who make a career off of being large, it's more than just another day of heavy eating. They've turned it into an almost grotesque contest.
"There's really a competition," center Todd McClure said. "We're going to weigh out today after today's practice to see how much we weigh and then I think there's an award for who gains the most weight between the weigh out this afternoon and when we come in Friday. So we'll see how it goes."
Linebacker Curtis Lofton is focused less on turkey and more on desert. There's one special lady in his life whose desert has no rival and it's what he looks forward to more than anything other aspect of the Thanksgiving meal.
"Grandma's pecan pie," he said with a smile, breaking from the conversation regarding how to defend Tampa Bay's young offense. "All pies, that's my favorite and she's the best cook that I know."
This holiday will be a special one for Lofton. As a new homeowner, he's invited his entire family to join him.
"I'm just thankful for good health," the second-year linebacker said. "I've got my family down here for this week. It's my first Thanksgiving at my house so it's going to be a great feeling."
The most notorious appetite in the locker room may belong to Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez. His organic and health-conscious diet won't stop for Thanksgiving. His menu calls for an animal-friendly free-range turkey and whatever else his wife comes up with.
"My wife is cooking up something else," Gonzalez said. "Actually she's buying something else."
He realized his confession as the local TV cameras were rolling and quickly looked directly into them and added "I'm sorry, baby."
Defensive tackle Kroy Biermann, unlike Gonzalez, is less concerned about what he is eating and more so about the quantity. In that way he's similar to the offensive linemen and their challenge to gain as much weight as possible. He sounded almost thankful for the opportunity.
"Personally I have to eat as much as I can so I'm heavier and bigger," the second-year end said with a laugh. "I don't really have to watch too much, though I know some guys do. So I can grub out."
A fifth-round draft selection in 2008's draft, Biermann was originally expected to be an impact player on special teams. After flashes of promise in his rookie season, he's worked his way into the pass-rushing rotation with the Falcons and is tied for the team lead with four sacks. He has his fair share of things to be thankful for.
"(I'm thankful for) family and good health," Biermann said. "A great year, just the opportunities I've been given."
As you make your way around the locker room you hear the sentiments of Biermann and Peterson repeated often. It's a locker room of guys that want to win, but along the way they remember what they have and want to share the rewards.
Look no further than another member of the 2008 draft class, wide receiver Harry Douglas, whose training camp ACL injury has him out for the season. As down to earth as they come, Douglas has every reason to be disappointed about the direction his season took, but instead he found the positives within a bad situation.
Douglas made sure to say that he was thankful for the people that got him there, as so many of the Falcons players stress.
"I probably have the best family in the world," Douglas said. "I thank God everyday for them. Me, my brother and my sister are best friends. My mom and dad are just wonderful."
Even though the franchise has hit a rough stretch in the 2009 season, fans of the Falcons have more than a three-game home stretch for which to be thankful. They're rooting for a team of players that, even at 5-5, have arrived there having never given up and continue to strive to do things the right way on the football field, in the community, and in their own homes.
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