Thanksgiving is a big day in the NFL, one that has an appreciation from fans of the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys.
Former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete played for those franchises that both participate in the league’s annual Thanksgiving game schedule.
But one holiday in particular is memorable to Peete and his family — and it had nothing to do with him having a good or bad game.
Peete played for six NFL teams in 15 seasons and was with the Carolina Panthers toward the end of his career in the early 2000s. His oldest son, RJ, had just been diagnosed with autism as a 3-year-old, and the day was a struggle.
“We made him wear a suit for Thanksgiving, and he’s sitting at the table with the most angry, miserable look on his face,” said Holly Robinson Peete, Rodney’s wife, an accomplished actress of “21 Jump Street” fame, among other shows. “At the time, there was nothing funny about it. We could not calm him down. He was throwing his food around. He was completely sensorially overwhelmed and was just not happy.”
The Peetes look at days like that and smile they can share their experiences in an effort to give hope to other families. RJ is now 28 and has spent the last 10 years working as a clubhouse attendant for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was profiled by Fox during the World Series and has become a popular figure with players. The Dodgers have become a partner in spreading autism awareness.
Holly admitted to not keeping many photos from those days because it reminded her of the struggles. RJ, however, finds humor in them.
“When he sees those pictures, he goes, ‘Mom, remember Thanksgiving? Man, I was bad that day,’” Holly said. “‘We laugh at a lot of things.”
Advocacy has become deeply rooted within the entire Peete family — particularly during the holiday season. They’ve found humor in the tough times by sharing the stories. Doing so collectively as a family works best. Autism is one of several topics in which the family champions awareness using a large platform. November is Overactive Bladder Awareness Month, and both Rodney and Holly have been diagnosed with the condition. Parkinson’s disease also is important to the family.
It’s all about the value of teamwork and sacrifice, traits Rodney mastered after a successful career as an NFL quarterback. He spent his first five seasons with the Lions and a succeeding season with the Cowboys. Rodney, 59, now works in sports talk radio in Los Angeles. Holly, an actress who made her first television appearance on “Sesame Street” in 1969, has a resume that includes television appearances on “Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper,” CBS daytime show “The Talk” and music videos for Babyface and Luther Vandross.
Rooting for the Dodgers to repeat as World Series champions allowed two parents to watch their son enjoy a happy ending — when there were times years ago where joyful news wasn’t promised in the life of a young boy.
“For the people that didn’t know our story and didn’t know RJ’s story, it was just a beautiful testimonial to hiring inclusively and to the power of never saying never, just embracing these kids and supporting them, and what happens when you just give a chance and support it,” Holly said. “That was important and one of the reasons why I know together, advocating for anything is going to be impactful.”
For Rodney in particular this week, keeping an eye on the Lions, who host the Green Bay Packers in the opener ofThursday’s triple-header, and the Cowboys, who host the Kansas City Chiefs in the second game, will be expected. It shouldn’t be forgotten that Rodney threw for 16,338 yards and 76 touchdowns for his NFL career, more than half of those stats coming from his stints in Detroit and Dallas.
Football came easy to Rodney. Becoming vocal about autism was more of a challenge for him. He said it “wasn’t natural” for him to speak about publicly.
“I was just in denial. I didn’t want to hear it,” Rodney said. “Don’t tell me my 3-year-old son can’t do this and can’t do that. I’m gonna find a way to coach it out of him. You know, that was my technique.”
Rodney said football taught him to “deal with the pain.” Holly, however, helped him change that mindset. Rather than using a coaching method, Rodney teamed with Holly to become outspoken in support of RJ and all families living with members with autism. Holly’s tough love, Rodney said, was valuable.
“Some of our biggest arguments have been over health issues and things she wants to nudge me about,” Rodney said of Holly. “But in the end, deep down, you know she’s right.”
He added: “I didn’t really know what (autism) was — we both really didn’t know — but she did her homework. She rolled up her sleeves and found out.”
“Our mission in the beginning,” Holly added, “was to really let parents know never to let anybody put limitations on your child’s development.”
With another Thanksgiving on deck, the Peetes now joke about new things. They laugh and remembering a young RJ being brutally honest — almost to a fault. What they don’t want is for RJ’s delivery in verbiage to affect him when it comes to dating.
Rodney and Holly celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary in June. Their three decades of marriage include four children. Being teammates in advocating for a variety of health-related issues has proven to be a connection to a happy ending.
Adding RJ’s Dodgers stories to their list of football accolades and acting achievements can add to the camaraderie around their house. Particularly if those stories bring laughs.
“Humor as a part of this journey, for sure,” Holly said.