CHARLOTTE – It's the holiday season and the Panthers are feeling festive. Whether it's surprise presents in players' lockers or Christmas carols at practice, everyone is in the holiday spirit.
All the festivities got us wondering what the Panthers favorite holiday memories are and what they're hoping to unwrap this year.
So, we hit the locker room to find some answers:
RB Christian McCaffrey
Best childhood present: "When me and my brothers got an Xbox, we'd just play two-on-two NFL Street."
Favorite holiday song: "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
Favorite holiday movie: "'A Christmas Carol' or 'It's a Wonderful Life.'"
Favorite holiday tradition: "It's tough because we're all so scattered now, but when we were little, we had pretty classic Christmases. We'd always wake up first and open stockings, then we'd eat a big breakfast then open the presents. Normally in Colorado it was a snowy Christmas, so we'd go outside and play in the snow, play football in the snow or whatever."
What's on your list this year: "That's tough. I don't know if I want anything. A win, maybe?"
DE Brian Burns
Best childhood present: "I'd probably say a drum set. I used to just play on it."
Favorite holiday song: "Let It Snow"
Favorite holiday movie: "Friday After Next"
Favorite holiday tradition: "While we're eating, we always watch 'Friday After Next' and 'The Grinch.'"
What's on your list this year: "I want the limited-edition Fear of Gods, the yellow pair."
QB Will Grier
Best childhood present: "A dirt bike when I was like eight. Electric start."
Favorite holiday song: "The Michael Bublé album."
Favorite holiday movie: "'The Grinch.' I've been watching the cartoon a lot with my daughter, and she loves it. It's pretty good. I love Jim Carrey, I love the original Grinch, but there are so many good Christmas movies. I like 'Christmas Vacation,' 'Christmas with the Kranks' is good. My family was big on 'A Christmas Story,' which is really old and it's not that good if you watch it right now, but it's a classic."
What's on your list this year: "We want to keep our money for Christmas."
QB Kyle Allen
Best childhood present: "Ping pong table. Actually, change mine to a snowboard, that was my favorite one ever."
Favorite holiday song: "The whole Justin Bieber album. All of 'em. Also, the Michael Bublé album. Fire."
Favorite holiday movie: "I like 'Four Christmases.'"
Favorite holiday tradition: "Just hang out and open gifts."
What's on your list this year: "I don't have anything. I didn't ask for anything. We're the ones with the money now, so we get the gifts."
S Eric Reid
Best childhood present: "I remember the bike. It was after me and my brother opened up what we thought were all of our gifts, and then we went outside and there were bikes."
Favorite holiday song: "All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey
Favorite holiday tradition: "Just spending time with family."
What's on your list this year: "Nothing. I just want to spend time with family."
DT Gerald McCoy
Best childhood present: "I always enjoyed getting video games, but I say the most surprising was one time on Christmas Eve. I was always up late, late, late and there was nothing out there. There were gifts, but just regular gifts under the tree. Went to sleep, woke up, came in the living room, there were two bikes sitting next to the tree. That was the most surprising gift I got."
Favorite holiday song: "Charlie Brown Christmas, 'Christmas Time is Here.'"
Favorite holiday movie: "'Grinch,' not the cartoon. The Jim Carrey one."
Favorite holiday tradition: "The kids set out cookies and milk and carrots for the reindeer and Santa. Then we wear matching pajamas."
What's on your list this year: "I don't ever ask for anything. I just want my family to be healthy and just let me be a light to everybody who sees me do what I do."
RB Reggie Bonnafon
Best childhood present: "I came out, there was a G.I. Joe tent, some G.I. Joe toys, then downstairs I had the whole foosball, table tennis interchangeable table."
Favorite holiday song: "Let It Snow" by Boyz II Men
Favorite holiday movie: "Home Alone"
Favorite holiday tradition: "Christmas Eve we'll open up one gift to get the juices flowing for the next day."
What's on your list this year: "Nothing. Honestly, just happiness, everybody having a good day. It hasn't been like this prior, but hopefully everybody has a great day. I'm not in need of anything or want, so I'm good."
P Michael Palardy
Best childhood present: Trampoline
Favorite holiday song: "O, Holy Night"
Favorite holiday tradition: "We always had lobster for dinner on Christmas Eve."
What's on your list this year: "To be honest with you, ever since I was a little kid, I never made lists. I never asked for anything and it drove my mom and dad nuts. Every year they had to just assume it was something I wanted. I've never been one to make a list or ask for things. I was even like that as a little kid, I don't know why."
LS JJ Jansen
Best childhood present: "I don't remember how old I was, about eight or nine, and Santa brought me a ping pong table. I remember that being a big deal in the house, full-size ping pong table. That was really cool."
Favorite holiday song: "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"
Favorite holiday tradition: "Christmas Eve my wife makes penne a la vodka and that has become a Jansen family tradition."
What's on your list this year: "I don't have a list. I got new jeans, just say I asked for new jeans and I got them."
