Joe Philbin reflects on the Thanksgiving holiday and talks family

No matter what you think of Joe Philbin as a coach in the National Football League, there is absolutely no denying that he's one of the nicest and kind-hearted men you will ever meet and/or get to know from a distance. He preaches family all the time to players and coaches and follows through on that promise when situations warrant it. 

With the Thanksgiving holiday in the books, Philbin took some time to reflect on what he's thankful for and also talked about how he spent the day with his family after the Dolphins held a practice and a few meetings in the morning. 

"I said to the team, each and every one of us that works for the Miami Dolphins have a lot to be thankful for. We have a wonderful profession. They get to play the game that they love. (The coaches and I) get to coach the game that we love. Certainly, to get to this point of our lives, each person has a different story and there have been different people that have helped each and every one of us get to this particular point in our careers. We certainly should all be thankful for that. Then enjoy the afternoon, the rest of the day with family, friends. Yeah, absolutely.”
 
On Wednesday night, Philbin, along with the players and other coaches, handed out over 500 Thanksgiving meals at the Dolphins' headquarters in Davie to those less fortunate. He noted it was a good bonding experience for the team 

“I think the players have done a great job. I was over there and you can see them interact. Their interaction with the fans, the younger fans, the older fans, it really didn’t matter. I thought it was authentic and really good to see in the participation. A lot of our guys financially contributed to that cause. They’ve been very generous with their time and their money, and it really showed yesterday.”

As for what he did with the family on Thursday, Philbin did what most of us do - eat, watch football and spend quality time with those around us that we may not get to see very often throughout the course of the year. 
 
“I’m definitely going to hang out with my family. We will take a look at the practice tape and we’re going to make whatever corrections we need to make, make sure we are all set for tomorrow when the players come back into the building. But then I am absolutely going to take time with the family. I’ll probably casually watch some football (today), but I watch enough in my regular job, so when I get home I’m not going to be riveted to it, that’s for sure.”
 
What was on the table in the Philbin household? Of course, the basics of Thanksgiving.

“I’m hoping turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing. After that, I don’t really care, but those four things you have to have (and) gravy too, of course.” 

This story was written by Matthew Cannata. You can follow him on Twitter: @PhinManiacs

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