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The menu was pretty light from my first Thanksgiving in the NFL as a rookie with the St. Louis Rams. Instant mashed potatoes -- the kind of stuff that comes in the big red box. Easy to make. I handled that. A precooked turkey. Throw it in the microwave? Yeah, cool. I guess that works. And a case of Icehouse. Longneck bottles, too. You know, dress it up nice for Thanksgiving.Thats it. Dig in.Gross? No doubt. But when four lonely rookies got together back in 2000 -- without family -- it was the best we could do. And we tried to have some sense of normalcy. Dinner, then turn on the Cowboys game, throw in a movie after. More beers. We laughed a lot. But it wasnt the same. Not even close.The pecan pie Mom makes? Nope. Or the sweet potatoes with the marshmallows on top? Nah. And the family, the little kids running around, all the traditions you love about Thanksgiving? Didnt have any of that either.I missed it. My teammates in St. Louis did too.As you get older in the league, you become more accustomed to missing holidays at home. It will never be ideal, but its also part of the gig as a pro. And your family adjusts too.But that first one? Yikes. I had a hard time. It was the first Thanksgiving I ever missed. I played under the old college football schedule of the 90s. At Iowa, we would wrap up the regular season versus the Gophers the weekend before Thanksgiving before heading back to our respective homes for the holiday.But when youre not there, its the small things you miss.?We used to have a family Turkey Bowl every Thanksgiving in Peoria, Illinois, across the street from my aunt and uncles house. Bad playcalling. Jump balls in the end zone. Quarterback scramble drills. Lots of turnovers. And some injuries. I busted up my dads knee once. And the adults capped off the game with Old Styles, mudslides and vodka tonics. Me too when I turned 21.But our celebration back in a Creve Coeur, Missouri, apartment was much different. Yeah, something was off about that turkey. It didnt look right coming out of the microwave. And we forgot gravy. So, we used ranch dressing on the mashed potatoes. The Icehouse? We couldve done better there.Mainly, just wasnt the same as being surrounded by family.Now, the cool thing about the pros is that everyone takes care of each other. Veteran players will open up their homes to the young cats. Some coaches, too. And everyone in the locker room makes sure that the guys have a place to go for the holiday.Practice starts much earlier in the day and players are out of the facility usually around 1 p.m. You try to keep as many traditions intact as possible. From the Cowboys late-afternoon kickoff to turkey around halftime, its a welcome break from the grind. And you need that as a player.But as the current NFL rooks will find out, it doesnt compare to being home.ESPN.com NFL analyst Matt Bowen played seven seasons as a defensive back in the NFL. Jim Kelly Bills Jersey . After Mondays hard-fought loss, the wait seemed longer than usual. Getting set to go their separate ways for a short Christmas break, the Raptors coach credited his team for their effort on a seemingly impossible three-game road trip, urging them to build on that success when they get back to work at the end of the week. Andre Reed Youth Jersey . They hope to persuade the other team owners and commissioner Roger Goodell to put pressure on Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to drop the nickname they find offensive. "Given the way the meeting transpired," Ray Halbritter, an Oneida representative and leader of the "Change the Mascot Campaign," said Wednesday, "it became somewhat evident they were defending the continued use of the name. http://www.shoptheofficialbills.com/Elite-Bruce-Smith-Bills-Jersey/ . Barcelonas entertaining victory ensured the defending Spanish champions retained their share of the league lead with Atletico Madrid two rounds ahead of their meeting in the capital. Real Madrid needed a late goal by substitute Jese Rodriguez to earn a 3-2 victory at Valencia to stay in third place and three points behind its title rivals. Andre Reed Jersey . Barcelonas entertaining victory ensured the defending Spanish champions retained their share of the league lead with Atletico Madrid two rounds ahead of their meeting in the capital. Real Madrid needed a late goal by substitute Jese Rodriguez to earn a 3-2 victory at Valencia to stay in third place and three points behind its title rivals. Josh Allen Womens Jersey . 31, the CFL club announced Monday. The team also has yet to decide on the future of Doug Berry, who began the season as a consultant to the head coach but took over the offensive co-ordinators duties in July. ESPN CFB writer Mark Schlabach (10:30 a.m. ET), Grizzlies PG Mike Conley (11:45) and ESPN NFL Insider Field Yates (12:15 p.m.) join Jeff Dickerson and Jonathan Hood.Text us at 67974 (msg&data rates may apply) or tweet us at @LeBatardShow and @Stugotz790 -- well be with you from 10 a.dddddddddddd.m. to 1 p.m. ET on ESPN Radio, ESPNRadio.com and ESPNU. ' ' '