While most students are off with family and friends enjoying their Thanksgiving holiday, the Troy football players are on campus preparing for their Friday contest with Sun Belt Conference foe Georgia State.

“It’s a desert,” said Troy running back Brandon Burks. “I was playing Call of Duty and I stopped playing to text somebody and they said they were out of town and I was like, ‘Dang it is Thanksgiving break.’ My mom was looking at me I was looking at her I just ended up going to sleep. It’s a ghost town.”

The lack of things to do while on campus outside of football practice doesn’t mean the competition has faltered, thanks to games like Call of Duty.

““KD (Edenfield) and some of the other players are on that game all the time, Burks said. “They are like game freaks. KD and Clark (Quisenberry) are pretty good. I haven’t played against them because I have a Playstation they have an XBOX.”

Players like Edenfield and Quisenberry use their video game ferocity while on the football field.

“All that action and that fire, they go crazy,” Burks said jokingly. “They have to take it out on somebody.”

It’s not just about playing video games during the down time. Burks and his teammates do spend a lot of the time studying and getting ready for finals.

And for some players such as LaMarcus Famer, there is nothing better than spending time with your teammates.

“It’s not weird at all,” the cornerback said. “I’m used to being with my brothers anyways. Not too much has changed other than not having to go to class. It gives more time to prepare and focus on our game plan, but it is a ghost town.”

Troy offensive lineman Antonio Garcia enjoys the opportunity to spend time with his teammates and focus on football.

“I actually like it this way,” Garcia said. “It’s just football, no class. So it’s just football and hanging out with your friends and focusing on the game … These are my brothers. I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s just like family.”

In the end Thanksgiving is all about family and food and the Trojan players are relishing the opportunity to partake in some delicious family food.

“Usually we have a team thing in the cafeteria,” Burks said. “After the game I am going to go to grandma’s house. I need grandma’s food. There is nothing like grandma’s cooking.”