UCF Players and Coaches Talk The Inside 'Scoop' on their Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dishes

There’s nothing quite like a great side dish with a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

Stephen Leonard | Nov 25, 2021

Orlando, FL- As annual preparations are being set for Thanksgiving, side dishes come to the forefront of people’s minds on what to bring. Maybe a casserole, maybe a sweet potato pie, everyone has their favorite side dish to eat at this special time of year.

I thought a lot about my grandfather’s stuffing, which sparked a question, which side dish is the favorite amongst players and coaches at the University of Central Florida?

First to be asked was head football coach Gus Malzahn, who said “I’m a big dressing guy, you know dressing, put a bunch of gravy on it. Usually make myself sick, I get excited.” Hopefully he doesn’t get too sick on gravy with the “War on I4” starting less than 24 hours from Thanksgiving dinner.

Redshirt-senior defensive lineman Anthony Montalvo said “Probably, mashed potatoes and gravy, I love my mashed potatoes and gravy.” Personally, I don’t get the hype surrounding mashed potatoes, but I guess some people like the strange consistency.

Anthony Montalvo, Defensive Tackle, UCF — Anthony Montalvo, Defensive Tackle, U / Brian Smith, Inside The Knights

Another redshirt-senior, this time offensive lineman Samuel Jackson, had this to say on the topic, “Cornbread. I’m a big cornbread guy, I love my aunt’s cornbread, so I have to make sure she always makes it. That’s like the one thing I always have.” I feel like cornbread is one of the better options as it pulls together the meal extremely well, while not being too overwhelming.

So football had a “dressing guy,” a mashed potato lover, and a “cornbread guy,” what then do members of the basketball team prefer?

Head basketball coach Johnny Dawkins started media availability and responded, “Favorite side dish? Mac & cheese!” We love it, personally don’t think it’s a staple of Thanksgiving, but mac & cheese is one of the best things to get if it’s on your table.

The spark plug of UCF men’s basketball, redshirt-sophomore guard Tyem Freeman, told the media, “Dressing, wait, stuffing, love stuffing. Have to have that on Thanksgiving, and mac & cheese.” Finally, another stuffing consumer, but I definitely agree those would be the two best pieces of a Thanksgiving dinner, granted there’s mac & cheese on the table.

Star player, fifth year senior Darius Perry went with a classic, “Sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes. Or yams, something like that. I love those.” While not my favorite, give me a nice sweet potato casserole, and I can understand Perry.

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