Montgomery Native and NFL Running Back Jacory Croskey-Merritt Gives Away 1,000+ Turkeys for Thanksgiving
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) — Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt returned to his hometown Saturday to help make Thanksgiving a little brighter for local families.
The Montgomery native handed out more than 1,000 turkeys at the Sheridan Heights Community Center, drawing a large crowd of residents eager to meet the NFL player, snap photos and pick up autographed Nike gear. Volunteers also grilled free burgers, creating a festive, tailgate-style atmosphere.
“I can’t even explain in words. It feels amazing,” Croskey-Merritt said. “Just to have the people support me… they keep me going. They make me want to go harder on the field. I can’t even explain the excitement I’m going to have later on reflecting on how everybody came out.”
District 3 City Council member Marche Johnson said the event energized the neighborhood.
“The neighborhood has woken up because they called me and said, ‘Oh, you’re down at the community center right now — something is happening,’” Johnson said. “I said yes, we’ve got a pro football player from the city who is coming back and giving back. This doesn’t happen that often, but we do get those ones whose families raised them to serve the community — and they’re doing it.”
Croskey-Merritt said he hopes the giveaway brings joy to families ahead of the holiday.
