Less than 24 hours after tying an NFL record with six rushing touchdowns, New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara made some new friends and picked up a hobby.
He wasn't much interested in resting on his laurels, because he wasn't much interested in resting at all. Last Saturday – the day after his history-equaling performance on Christmas Day, in a 52-33 victory over Minnesota – Kamara was overseeing an entrepreneurial project when the Santa in him bubbled out.
"So, I'm building a juice bar right off St. Charles, and I always see these kids riding around, riding bikes and they kind of stopped and asked me what I was doing," Kamara said. "So I was telling them, giving them some info. And then, I was asking them about the bikes, so they were like, these are SE Big Flyers.
"They were telling me about the bikes, how much they cost, this and that. So one of the kids, he had just a regular mountain bike and the other two had the nice bike, the SE Big Flyer. So I'm like, I had some cash on me and I was about to pay one of my workers that was finishing some stuff up for me at the juice bar, and I was like, 'Hey, how much does that bike cost?' And he started telling me, and I just gave him the money. I'm like, 'Next time I see you, you better have one of these bikes. Go buy one of these.'
"And the other kid let me ride it, cause I was like, 'Let me what's so special.' Because they didn't have them bikes when I was younger, we just had the bike we'd just throw on the curb and go in the house. They don't want to lose these bikes, they've got a whole kit in their book bag to tighten screws. I'm like, man, this is serious.
"And they were trying to get me to pop wheelies – I couldn't pop no wheelies. I told them I'm going to get a bike and ride with them. Now, I've got to find a way to go get some bikes. I guess I'm going to be in a bike club this offseason."
If Kamara sets his mind to it, it'll probably get done. He has gotten done much of what he set his mind to this season.
He has scored a league-leading and franchise record 21 touchdowns this season, 16 rushing, which also is a franchise record for the Saints (11-4), who will close out the regular season Sunday against Carolina at Bank of America Stadium.
Kamara also is 68 rushing yards away from his first 1,000-yard season. But the buzz hasn't lessened much over his Christmas Day touchdown gusher.
"It's definitely history," he said. "Blessed to be able to do it in a city that I love, with a team that I love. It's cool but, and I'm being completely honest, I'm always just looking to the next. I'm saying what's next, what more can I do. That's what I'm looking for.
"It was cool Christmas Day and all that, but as a team we've got so much more to accomplish. That was fun for me, it was personal. (But) I woke up the next day and I went to my other jobs," he said, laughing. "I don't want to downplay it and make it seem like it wasn't a great accomplishment, because it was. But I was more happy about, like, just sharing with everybody. Sharing it with guys so excited for me, like (quarterback) Drew (Brees) and (Coach) Sean (Payton) excited. All of those guys excited."
Kamara might mildly get excited if he reaches the 1,000-yard rushing mark, though. His 932 yards have reached on 187 carries.
"My sister was telling me after the game, and I don't really look at the stats during the season," he said. "I'm just like, playing so much, playing, playing, playing. And then she told me that and I'm like, all right, if I get 68 yards, I'll probably finally be an elite running back. They say I haven't ever had a 1,000-yard season.
"(But) if I get it, I get it and if not, it's whatever. We've got more stuff to do."
Maybe, even, more end zone celebrations. He and his teammates had to dig into the creativity bag and came up with snow angels after the sixth score.
"I didn't even come up with the snow angels," Kamara said. "I forgot who told me. They were like, 'We're gonna do snow angels.' I was like, 'I don't care. Whatever. Hopefully, I get to six.'
"I just started counting them. (Tight end Jared) Cook, after the fourth one, he started counting four and the fifth one I got in there, the camera was right in front of me and it was the perfect, opportune situation and I'm like, 'All right, let me count five.'
"Snow angels came up. The first one, I don't even know what I did. That's a lot of touchdowns. That's the first time I've ever scored six touchdowns in a game. I don't even think I did that in high school, and I was cold in high school."
