Good eats

Right now, about 45 million turkeys are being consumed across the United States in honor of Thanksgiving Day. And very soon, the Texans players will be joining all of you in the annual American feast.

The team just wrapped up their Thursday practice, which was held a few hours early so the players would be able to spend the rest of the holiday with family and friends.

And rest assured, they didn't waste a second trading in their practice uniforms for a more comfortable outfit to lounge in the remainder of the day inside their homes. Some down-home cooking and fellowship with loved ones is a great motivator to make a quick escape from the confines of Reliant Stadium.

But it is the middle of a game week for the entire organization, so early tomorrow morning, the whole building will be back in and ready to go for Sunday's matchup against the Titans.

That won't stop the Texans from taking a few hours to enjoy what is many of their favorite days of the year. Each player has their own things to be thankful for and of course, has a favorite traditional dish that they can't wait to dig into.

"I'm a sweet potato pie man," cornerback Dunta Robinson said.

Robinson's mom has been cooking all morning for their family Thanksgiving feast.

"Turkey, ham, yams, sweet potato pie, dressing, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it," he laughed.

Robinson's mom made the trip to Houston from Georgia while the rest of the Robinson clan stayed back. A huge feast for two means that D-Rob won't have to cook for a while.

"It's just the two of us so I'll have it for about three weeks."

Another fan of sweet potato pie is free safety Marlon McCree, who says he really even prefers eating it cold. McCree and his family will spend the day with fellow safety Jason Simmons and his family. Some of the Texans players will make sure not to gorge themselves with tomorrow's practice in mind, McCree isn't one of those.

"I'm a little guy so I don't have that problem like some of these bigger guys," McCree said. "I can eat without hesitation so I enjoy it. Jason Simmons and his family are coming over. We have a lot to be thankful for so we're going to have a good time."

Fullback Jarrod Baxter is taking his homeade Macaroni and Cheese to a friend's house. Baxter loves Thanksgiving dinner, but he takes a little more unconventional route when it comes to naming his favorite dish.

"Ham," Baxter state about his favorite thing to eat on Thanksgiving. "Everybody tells me to save ham for Christmas but that's what I really like."

On the flipside, there are a few players who will watch their intake, knowing that a big heaping of turkey many times comes hand-in-hand with sleepiness.

"You have to be responsible," offensive lineman Todd Washington said. "You want to eat a lot. It's one of those days to be thankful for whatever you're thankful for so you want to give thanks to that and have fun, but you do have a game to play.

"You have to do what you have to do in order to be ready by Sunday."

Washington is definitely not going to pass on his wife's famous stuffing, Pennsylvania-Dutch style, but he is going to make sure he doesn't polish it off.

"It really does slow you down," Washington said about over-eating before a day of work. "Some guys are better athletes than others, but when you're actually carrying a lot of excess food in your stomach that hasn't been digested yet, it's going to slow anybody down. That's the one thing I'm trying to avoid."

However much or little grub the Texans enjoy today, nothing beats a good afternoon off spent with good food, friends and family. Happy Thanksgiving to all from the Houston Texans!