NFL stars AJ Brown, Tee Higgins, Andrew Van Ginkel, and others joined Cane’s restaurant chain to distribute bicycles to children in need and reminisce about their favorite Christmas gifts from their youth.
The players took a break from the game and joined the Raising Cane’s bike drive at venues in their team’s home base to help disadvantaged kids this Christmas in the restaurant chain’s sixth annual holiday bike giveaway, according to Fox Sports.
The players also took some time out to look back on their own favorite Christmas memories.
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, for one, recalled his “peak” Christmas gift when his parents gave him his prized PlayStation 2.
“I got NCAA, one of those games with the Texas Longhorns on the cover. It was very impactful to me, and it stuck to me. It was one of those peak moments as a kid that stuck out to me,” he said.
Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins also recalled his favorite Christmas as he handed out bikes at Cincinnati’s Boys & Girls Club.
“My favorite gift was my first dirt bike that my dad had got me. I rode that dirt bike for like 10 days straight,” Higgins said.
Higgins grew up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and attended many events at the Boys & Girls Club in his hometown, so joining the Cincy chapter this Christmas was especially poignant for him.
“When I was their age, I remember my first bike at the Boys and Girls Club. That made me smile, so it made me the happiest boy alive,” he explained.
At the Raising Cane’s event in Minnesota, Vikings linebacker Josh Metellus recalled how, for one childhood Christmas, all he wanted was a new basketball.
“It’s funny, I found a picture of it not too long ago because Netflix was asking for it,” Metellus said. “I got a basketball when I was a little bit older, maybe middle school, right before high school. The fact that my mom was willing — I kept telling her, ‘I want a new basketball.’ For her to go out of her way to use that as my gift, knowing that would make me happy, instead of just giving me a toy or something any middle school kid wanted. All I wanted was a basketball so I can play and try to make this middle school basketball team. My mom, like many times, showed me she cared about what I thought and was willing to do whatever to make me happy. That was a really cool moment.”
But Vikings player Andrew Van Ginkel spoke about the bigger picture.
“I think life’s a lot bigger than football and us as football players,” Van Ginkel said. “So, any way that we can get back in the community and just be there for kids that have been through a lot and need that extra piece of hope that can help them get through these difficult times.”
He added, “To me, Christmas is all about giving thanks to our lord Jesus Christ, and it means a lot to give back and do good works in the community. It’s a small piece about who I am and want to do as a person and the impact I want to make.”
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