The 4th of July isn’t a simple day off or an excuse to fire up the grill. It’s a deeply ingrained celebration of independence, of American identity, and of community. This day marks the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, an act of rebellion that reshaped world history. That’s why fireworks light up the sky to mimic the battlefields of the past. But for many like Will Compton, the real joy comes from simpler things: good company, great food, and shared tradition.
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That sentiment came through clearly in the latest episode of the Bussin’ With the Boys pod, when Compton and his crew started talking about their Independence Day plans.
“You guys got any big Fourth of July plans coming up?” Compton asked, teeing up the segment. He quickly added with a smile, “You know your boy’s going back to Bonne Terre, Missouri.”
In response, one of the members of the crew revealed that he’d be spending the holiday in Litchfield, South Carolina, a family beach trip they make every year. “Fourth of July, greatest holiday. Can’t wait to be out there walking the beach,” he said.
That’s when Compton posed the big one: “Is Fourth of July your favorite holiday?” “100%. There’s not a close second either,” the response came, without hesitation. For Compton, though, it came in just behind Christmas.
“Fourth of July is definitely up there. I’m thinking it’s my number two behind Christmas,” he shared. “Just the vibes of Christmas are just up… but dude, Fourth of July, summertime, around friends and family, everybody wearing the red, white and blue, celebrating America. Best food.”
From fireworks to paper plates stacked with BBQ and sides, Compton’s version of the holiday is one many Americans can relate to. But the NFL has its own history with Independence Day, one that’s as explosive as the holiday itself.
For starters, one of football’s most legendary figures, Al Davis, was born on July 4, 1929.
As Elliott Kalb noted in The 33rd Team, Davis was football’s original firework, an owner, coach, and GM whose passion for explosive play helped define an era. His belief in speed birthed Raiders legends like Cliff Branch and James Jett, players who could outrun defenders and light up a scoreboard with one snap.
That said, Davis wasn’t alone. Gale Sayers, Barry Sanders, and Randy Moss, players whose styles echoed fireworks in their unpredictability and brilliance, have all embodied the spirit of July 4 on the field.
The league even boasts other July 4-born players like former Steelers tight end Jerame Tuman and linebacker Brandon Copeland, whose career paths reflect hard work and resilience, pivotal hallmarks of the American spirit.
In recent years, stars like Tyreek Hill and the early-career version of Odell Beckham Jr. have brought that fireworks energy back into modern NFL highlight reels. Hill once hit 23.24 mph on a return, while Beckham posted over 1,100 yards in just nine games as a rookie, numbers and stats that define modern-day athletes’ explosiveness and metaphorical fireworks.
So all said and done, for Will Compton and millions of others, the Fourth isn’t just a holiday, it’s a celebration of identity, freedom, and shared legacy. And in the NFL, that energy shows up in more ways than one, whether in birthdays, philosophies, or the kind of jaw-dropping plays that leave fans staring at the sky, waiting for the next big boom.
