Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
The quarterback-receiver connection is a constant work in progress. You're always working on your communication on the field, off the field.
I have grown so much since I started in this league and it's something that I feel that every single year I'm always learning, always growing.
I just have to make sure that for 60 minutes, I'm going out there and doing my job, running routes the best that I can and trying to get open.
No matter what, you're going to have hard days out here. There's going to be a drop here or a tough pass that you didn't come down with there.
You want to go out there and do what's best for the team, help your team move the ball down the field, make plays, help them win football games.
I know they don't come very often in this business, so every chance I get to step out on the field, wherever it was, I worked as hard as I could.
As a football player, as an athlete, as a competitor - that dream of being able to play in the Super Bowl, you're never going to let that one go.
I think playing multiple sports is by far the best way to go. You're talking about different teammates, different skill sets, different mentalities.
I can't go out there and just eat turkey sandwiches and hamburgers all day because that's not going to make my body perform at the level that it can.
Every single day was an opportunity for me to be on the field, if I was starting, playing or not playing, every single day I came out here ready to work.
I'm playing in the NFL and getting to compete with these guys every single day, getting to play in the pre-season games. That's a dream come true right there.
What is it that drives us outward to the stars above and to the shores below? Is it the security of knowing what's there? Or is it the adventure of finding it?
I love to compete. No matter what we're doing, it doesn't matter. We could be playing video games or ping pong, and I'm going to get fired up, win, lose or draw.
If I do my job, take advantage of every opportunity I get out there and be in the right spot, the plays will come. When it does come, I've got to take advantage of it.
Training camp for me is a day-by-day thing. It's a grind. If you lose focus on what you're trying to work on, you won't be there mentally, and it'll be tough physically.
A big part of that quarterback-receiver relationship is communication. You've got to be on the same page because if you're not, it just doesn't work. Then you're kind of guessing.
I am excited about the concept of the Premier Lacrosse League. The idea is to bring the best lacrosse players from around the world together and showcase their talent to the fans.
When I was in Buffalo, Fred Jackson was you know, I would say he was a big mentor of mine and when I was in Miami, I probably picked apart Brian Hartline, Davone Bess, those guys.
Every single year is a year for me to take a look at how I've grown and how I can get better and better myself as a football player as a receiver and just as an overall team player.
Once I started out on this journey of wanting to play in the National Football League, I've had a lot of opportunities. And with each opportunity, I've tried to make the most of it.
As far as coach Belichick, yeah, he's a huge lacrosse fan. I'm pretty sure I played against his son at Rutgers my sophomore and junior years. There's always that. We have that lacrosse connection.
I didn't really have a plan B. My plan B was work harder and try to make it in the NFL, and that's what I want to do. I put everything I had into making it in this league, and that's why I'm here.
I've learned so much whether it was, I played a lot of team sports, so being part of a team, learning how to be a leader on different teams, and how to deal with the ebb and flow of different games.
I made my way in this league playing special teams and then kind of worked my way into playing receiver. It was always just kind of doing whatever I could do and taking advantage of all the opportunities that I got.
This game is ups and downs. It's ebb and flow. It's never going to be high the entire time. It's never going to be low for the entire season. That's part of being a professional and dealing with the opportunities you get throughout the year.
When I got the call that the Patriots were interested, it was a very surreal feeling. I've always looked up to watching them play. They've been a team that has a long history of winning. Just to be considered to be a part of this team is a great honor.
When I grew up I was a huge Michael Jordan fan. That's not very unusual for people to like him, but I just liked reading his books, especially where he came from, getting cut from his high school team. I thought he was a good person, a good role model to look up to.
I just tried to make as many plays as possible to try and show them how hard I work and how hard I prepare and that I am willing to do whatever it takes to win football games and to accept whatever role they want me to be in. I think that has helped me throughout my career.
I mean I've been around a lot of places and there's been a lot of guys that - every single team that I've ever been on, I really try to take advantage of the older veterans that are there, try to learn about their process, how they take care of their bodies, how they study, how they watch film.
I always go back to who I am as a player, and what got me into the league. It wasn't by demanding the ball or anything. It was about doing what's best for the team, doing my job the best I can, showing up on film and making the plays when they come my way during games. That's what I focus on every single week.
Monmouth was important to me because that was the first stepping stone. I am very grateful to the Monmouth program for taking a chance on a four-year lacrosse player who had a year of eligibility left. It was an awesome experience to go back there and play football again, especially since it was close to home.
College lacrosse can be pretty brutal at times, so that definitely helped me with the toughness. It's a fast-paced game, so that helped me kind of translate over to the game speed of playing in the NFL. I think just the one-on-one aspect of trying to beat the guy in front of you definitely helped me as being a receiver.