NFL Thanksgiving traditions: Turkey legs, turducken a welcome prize after a win

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Barry Sanders was skeptical. Robert Porcher was wary. George Teague had his concerns, as well.

Justin Tucker remembered it being very hot.

There are a lot of stories from back in the day involving the postgame turkey after NFL games played on Thanksgiving. Eating a turkey leg and later partaking in turducken have been a long-standing staple of the holiday and a connection for the winner of the games played on the fourth Thursday in November, dating back to the days of John Madden and Pat Summerall calling games.

Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman are still remembered for eating a turkey leg at midfield of Levi’s Stadium in 2014 after the Seattle Seahawks knocked off the San Francisco 49ers 19-3. And let’s not forget last year when the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and Tyler Bass earned their turkey legs after Bass hit a 45-yard field goal with two seconds left to beat the Detroit Lions 28-25 at Ford Field. Bass’ kick capped a four-play drive that took only 21 seconds to execute, a drive spearheaded by a long pass from Allen to Diggs.

No matter what players think about the postgame turkey — and whether to eat it — they all agree that simply having the opportunity is an honor. It meant their team won and earned additional days of rest to prepare for the following week.

NFL Thanksgiving games date back to 1934, but the postgame turkey is still a relatively new part of the game. Madden awarded the first turkey leg as a trophy in 1989 to defensive end Reggie White after the Philadelphia Eagles defense dominated the Dallas Cowboys in a 27-0 Thanksgiving win.

How tasty or sanitary it is to eat the bird on the field still poses questions to some, but ultimately, players simply want the invitation.

“It’s an honor for guys to be able to get up there because you had to do something,” said Teague, the former Cowboys safety. “You’ve got to have some kind of name or something to get called up there to the table to get some. I was never asked. My turkey-day games weren’t good enough, I guess.”

The turkey leg awards later would come from a bird appearing to have six legs. Additional legs were attached with wooden skewers in the early 1990s to accommodate more players who had outstanding performances.

“I wasn’t sure that it was actually real food,” Sanders said. “I felt like it was always kind of a humorous thing or tongue-in-cheek. Obviously, it was always a great honor to have coach Madden recognize you, winning the turkey, the six-legged turkey or whatever that was.”

Madden added turducken to the tradition in 1997. Turducken is a turkey stuffed with boneless duck that is stuffed with boneless chicken. The tradition started after a New Orleans Saints public relations staffer brought Madden some to try.

Madden called 20 Thanksgiving games before retiring after Super Bowl XLIII. Madden died Dec. 28, 2021. The NFL announced the inaugural John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration last year, with tributes across all networks airing during Thanksgiving games.

Porcher said it was always special to have Madden and Summerall in Detroit for Thanksgiving football. Part of that was because of the enthusiasm they had for the day, as well as the postgame turkey.

Porcher, however, wouldn’t go as far as to consume the celebratory bird.

“I don’t even think I bit into it at all. Maybe I did once,” he said. “I was just like, ‘That thing’s been sitting out. I don’t know if I want that.’

“Then Madden started doing the turducken with all those legs on it, and I was like, ‘Nah, that don’t look right.’ An honor to have it, but I never ate it.”

Skepticism isn’t uncommon. Teague said he never asked his Dallas teammates about eating the turkey, but he had his questions.

“I was really more like, ‘Do they even season this thing?’” Teague said. “‘Who cooked this thing? Where did it come from?’ We like our turkey to be moist and flavorful, and when you’re looking at that, they look like the ones you put on the table for decoration, like it’s fake.”

Tucker admitted to eating the turkey following the Baltimore Ravens’ Thanksgiving win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2013. The Ravens won 22-20, and Tucker made five field goals on what he recalled was a cold night in Baltimore.

“I don’t remember the taste of the turkey or if it was dry or whatever,” said Tucker, who was a part of the postgame feast alongside receiver Jacoby Jones. “I just remember that the turkey was surprisingly really, really hot. I took a big bite into it, and I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ I might have burned everything just by getting a little too big a bite.”

Jones had four catches for 53 yards in that game. He also had a 73-yard kickoff return that might have received the most recognition because of Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin’s standing on the field during Jones’ runback.

Getting the chance to take part in the holiday tradition after the game was something Tucker said he’d never forget. Particularly after a big win.

The turkey and turducken were great enhancers for a Thanksgiving victory. And they continue to be the incentive for every NFL player competing on the holiday.

“Jacoby and I definitely were glad to share a little Thanksgiving feast on the field,” Tucker said. “That was a pretty fun experience.”

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(Photo from 1999 of Gus Frerotte, Greg Hill, Johnnie Morton and Robert Porcher: Jeff Kowalsky / AFP via Getty Images)