The season of giving is just that — a time to be selfless and think of others.

That’s what the defensive linemen of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did this Christmas as they provided shopping sprees for families in need.

Selma native Michael Johnson was in on the annual “D-Line Delivers Christmas” and even had his parents providing for four local families while he was away.

“It’s something that Michael has done in Cincinnati, in Tampa, and now he’s done it at home,” said Thomasene Johnson, Michael Johnson’s mother. “It’s heart warming.”

Thomasene said Michael wanted to give back to his hometown this year with the help of his parents. She talked with Henry Moore at the Central Alabama Child Development Center to find four families in need that would eventually have the opportunity of a lifetime.

“I had him help me find some families in need and he did, and we had them meet us at Wal-Mart,” Johnson said. “We just let them shop for anything that they needed.”

The families were allotted $500 per family, and were able to get anything that they needed from household items to Christmas presents.

“They did gifts for the children, they did food, anything they needed they were able to get at Wal-Mart last Saturday, and we paid for it,” Johnson said.

The families were excited and overjoyed about their shopping trip, and according to Johnson.

“Of course they were joyous. They were excited. They were happy. They were thankful,” she said. “It reminds you to be thankful that you’ve been so blessed to be able to do what you do. It’s very heartwarming to be able to do that for somebody.”

She said giving back to families is something that her son has done for several years now, and he is sure to continue doing.

“We’ll just have to feel what the need is, and we’ll [get] involved in something that’s really helpful for children,” Johnson said.