By Rachel Terrill, Player Engagement Insider
While the holidays offer us a chance to stop and reflect on our blessings, the NFL commands our attention throughout the season. But after a great Thanksgiving weekend of NFL football, I am feeling especially thankful and nostalgic.
Thanksgiving is a special holiday for my family. Eight years ago– just three days before Thanksgiving… our first child was born. In the midst of our NFL journey, we named our daughter Journey Rae.
“Journey” was the name that fit our NFL lives. “Rae” was in honor of my husband’s late father, Ray, who passed from brain cancer before the Seattle Seahawks drafted his son.
Eight years ago, the Seahawks were playing against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. My husband kissed our newborn daughter and me goodbye before boarding the team plane.
I watched his game from our home in Seattle, holding Journey in my arms. We celebrated Thanksgiving together, mother and child – both of us wearing our #93 Seahawks jerseys.
While the players were away, NFL wives showered us with holiday meals, gifts, and love. Thousands of miles from home, we had our NFL family close. That year, and every year since, we were thankful for the NFL. My husband played for seven seasons, and football will forever be a part of our journey.
In the spirit of thankfulness, I asked other NFL families for the top reasons that they are thankful. Here are their top five reasons they are thankful for their NFL lives:
- Teammates and Friends: We are thankful for our teammates and their families. Like us, many NFL families find themselves thousands of miles away from home. NFL teammates become surrogate families for each other. Players spend holidays together, celebrate birthdays together, and become family when family is too far away. Those bonds can last a lifetime.
- Seeing the World: NFL games are played all over the country and now, thanks to the NFL International Series, all over the world. Not only do we get to know the home cities where we play, but traveling to away games also allowed us to explore far away cities. We are thankful for the opportunity to see and explore the world while enjoying the game of football.
- Community Engagement: We are thankful for the opportunities to find and engage in our community and charitable endeavors. NFL teams are deeply invested in their communities. NFL players and families have opportunities to participate in exciting charitable campaigns and fundraisers. Schools, hospitals, and youth sports teams invite us in to encourage others. Charitable organizations let us in, behind the scenes, to be a part of what they do. The more we donate our time and money, the more charitable we feel and the more charitable we become. By engaging in our communities, the communities become a part of us, too.
- Dreams Come True – Not only are NFL players living their dreams, but they are living those dreams on the biggest sports stages in America. As an NFL wife, nothing can match the energy I felt when I watched my husband run out of the tunnel into the roaring crowd. Likewise, for players, the adrenaline rush of making a big play in front of home fans is unmatched. We also love that our children see their NFL dads living their dreams. An NFL mom added, “May it inspire our children to dream big too.”
- Lasting Connections – We are thankful that our NFL opportunities don’t end when we are done playing. NFL Player Engagement, The Legends Community, The Trust, and The NFLPA all have programs setup to ensure that NFL players stay connected and engaged throughout their lives. NFL teammates and coaches become mentors and lifelong friends. We are thankful for the platform of the NFL upon which to stand and the programs set up to propel us toward the rest of our lives.