Patriots

Most children who’ve incurred the wrath of their parents are threatened with a lump of coal of their stockings at Christmas.

For Patriots wideout Kendrick Bourne, it was… a trash can?

“I have a funny one. My parents gave me and my brothers a trash can for Christmas. That was the worst,” Bourne told MassLive's Nick O'Malley about an unforgettable gift. “We needed it, though. We actually needed it for our room. So it was good.”

“Did your parents have a heart? That’s the next question,” one other reporter asked the veteran.

“Hardly,” replied Bourne. “We had to clean our room. I think they sent us a signal. It was the best gift, a gift we needed. But probably the worst gift at the same time.”

Bourne added that the gift didn’t include any extras or perks – comparable to gifts being put within the bin.

As blunt as his gift for criticizing the state of his bedroom was, Bourne still sees it as a fond memory – one which transcends the standard clichés of gifts like cleats, jerseys and other football gear.

“Crazy childhood,” Bourne said, laughing. “I love my parents. Shout out loud – Hello, Mom and Dad. I love you.”

Several of Bourne's teammates gave fairly standard answers when asked about gifts during the holidays.

“The best Christmas present I ever received? “Oh man, this is tough,” Hunter Henry said. “When I was young, I was a big jersey guy. I remember standing up and getting a Shaquille O'Neal jersey when I was young, when I was a huge basketball fan. I just remember being excited about the Shaquille O’Neal jersey.”

“Unlike Hunter, I would probably say probably an electric motorcycle,” Drake Maye added. “I got an electric motorcycle that I rode around the neighborhood.”