Turns out the San Francisco 49ers had their own Kris Kingle on the roster.
But this Santa Claus is their leading rusher and versatile Pro Bowler Christian McCaffrey, who spread some holiday cheer inside the locker room on the eve of their Christmas Day showdown with the Baltimore Ravens.
What Did Christian McCaffrey Buy for San Francisco 49ers Teammates?
McCaffrey’s 49ers offensive teammates were greeted with some surprises Friday courtesy of their Secret Santa running back.
What did members of the 49ers receive?
- PXG golf bags
- Bottle of tequila
- A coupon for a custom fitting for a new set of clubs
McCaffrey happens to be in a room with some avid golfers and guys who love to hit the bottle after 49ers games.
Captured by ESPN analyst and former 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, McCaffrey didn’t hesitate to get into the Xmas spirit.
“Christmas, I think, is a time to reflect with friends and family — to gather around for, in our case, gameday. The whole thing is a special time of the year,” McCaffrey said.
The NFL’s leading rusher McCaffrey added: “The later I get into this league, the more I realize how special it is to have guys who are willing to do the things that others aren’t willing to do. It is an obligation, and a rightful one, to give back to them.”
While it’s common for top running backs and quarterbacks to hand out gifts to their offensive line for doing the dirty work, McCaffrey opted to add the entire offense — including wide receiver Deebo Samuel and quarterback Brock Purdy.
Here’s the full story from #49ers RB Christian McCaffrey on his big Christmas gifts to his offensive teammates…
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) December 24, 2023
What’s the Reason Behind the Clubs?
For McCaffrey, the challenge became finding a creative gift that would win over his teammates and not go with a common holiday purchase.
So he began thinking about future golfers inside the 49ers’ facility.
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“Any time you’re giving the gifts, it’s always tough,” McCaffrey shared. “You’ve got to get creative; you’ve got to do something that kind of panders to everybody. And I figured, if they don’t play golf, they will at some point in their life, so better to be prepared than not. It’s nice to have a bag of clubs in the garage.”
McCaffrey feels blessed that he’s in a sport where he doesn’t have to use words to express his affinity for his team.
“Football is the best example of showing love because you don’t have to say a word. You show everybody every single time out on that field whether you care or not,” McCaffrey told Smith.
Turns out, playing for the person next to them is paramount on the 49ers — which is what McCaffrey embraces, especially at this time of year.
“And what’s special about this team is, if you’re not like that, you become an outcast and you end up not playing. It’s fun to be a part of,” McCaffrey said.
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