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JP's Extra Points: Northside digs in with McDonald's for pregame meal and lovin' it

The Northside Eagles have been eating McDonald's for their pregame meal for more than 20 years, and with the success they have had over the years, it doesn't look like they will change the tradition anytime soon.

Northside has established themselves as one of the most dominant powerhouses in Georgia. The Eagles always have a ton of energy, and they get that energy from the Mac.

No, not McConnell-Talbert Stadium -- I'm talking about the place that serves the Big Mac.

"I'm not going to lie, I don't really eat McDonald's that often, but the funny thing is on Friday nights, for some strange reason, it just hits the spot," defensive line coach Daniel Sayles said.

Every Friday, Sayles heads to the Golden Arches and picks up the pregame dinner. Now the Eagles have close to 100 players on the roster, and -- let's be honest -- a Happy Meal isn't going to cut it, not for these guys.

So the receipt looks something like 220 double cheeseburgers, 64 McChickens, and 4 Filet o' Fish.

The pregame meal takes place about 4 hours before the game. The team meets in the cafeteria, and each player grabs two sandwiches and a Gatorade. Coaches are eating the exact thing. But again, they are football players, we know they can eat, so any extras are gladly given back to the players.

"Is there a healthier way to do it? Of course, but when you getting ready to play a game, it's something you don't really have to think about -- how much you gotta cook, how much you gotta clean," Sayles said.

McDonald's has been a part of Eagle football for more than 20 years, and it won't change anytime soon, considering the Eagles have made the playoffs for 26 straight seasons. Now eating two all-beef patties with or without the sesame seed bun alone won't get you to the postseason, but it hasn't hurt the Eagles. In fact, it might have pushed them to play better, at least it did when Sayles was a player at Northside from 1997-2001.

"The fact that we ate McDonald's before a game before we did it, it just shows how much work we put in before we actually started playing," Sayles said.

And now he is coaching them up to do the same thing with the same food, and he is, of course, lovin' it.

"That's what all coaches want to do. They want to have all our guys succeed and if we can get them there, then we have done our jobs, even with McDonald's!" Sayles said.

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