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When I was younger, I initially hated football because they put me on the offensive line because I was the biggest kid.
Tight ends, third down, and the red zone is where you kind of need to stand out to be a very good tight end in this league.
I want to prove to myself and everybody else how good I can be, and I'm willing to work as hard as I need to to achieve that goal.
That's something that I do pride myself on: making those tough and contested catches, whether it's in the red-zone or on third down.
I'm focusing on being the best I can for my teammates - catching as many balls and putting in as many good blocks as I possibly can.
Nobody said, 'You have to step up and be a leader for the family.' I took it upon myself. I wanted to set the bar high for my brothers.
In today's society, a lot of males think you have to be strong all the time, and you're not allowed to show weakness. That's just so false.
When you're blocking someone, or when you're running, it's all about putting force into the ground, and that's the epitome of the back squat.
As athletes, just looking at it from an outside perspective, it's really remarkable, the impact you could have on somebody that you have no idea.
Big hits are part of the game. So, paramount to every time I train is just to focus on staying healthy and doing everything I can to stay healthy.
Stay focused, believe that you can achieve at the highest level, surround yourself with others who believe in you, and do not stray from your goal.
My wife Julie and I are driven to make positive and enduring change in our beloved city of Philadelphia, in California, in Haiti, and around the world.
Everybody says, 'Oh, those East Coast people are so ruthless' and what not. But I love them. I mean, they're honest. What more can you ask from people?
Having success as a team is much more fun than having individual success. I have learned this lesson through the many wins I have experienced as a team.
I think you have to have a high football IQ. Obviously, you have to have the physical ability to run fast and get open. But you also have to have a high football IQ.
Bringing in a guy like Jordan Howard is going to help us immensely: a guy that you can give the ball to behind five really good offensive linemen and say, 'Go to work.'
As an athlete, I feel like I have a little bit of control - or a lot of control - of the situation. When you're the in the stands, you have no control of the situation.
Football is such a traditionalist sport. Whatever happened in the past is usually going to continue. But the bullying has no place in any sport. That's the bottom line.
I love football, but I also want to give back. I want to take care of kids and single moms, so it's not only about playing football. I want my life to matter in that way.
I was very fortunate to have several mentors in my life that believed in my ability on the football field. It was their support that made me believe that I could do it, too.
I think I had a good rookie year, but at the end of the day, I want to be one of the best tight ends ever to play, and I'm going to set my standard for that and work toward that goal.
Red zone, third down, I want to be the guy who gets the number called. I put a lot of pride into what I do as a receiver in those situations - using my body when we need to make a play.
I don't want to be viewed as a weakness in any means. I don't want to be viewed as a weakness in the passing game. I definitely don't want to be viewed as a weakness in the running game.
Football should not be your source of identity. This one is important to me because I am much more than the player. My faith, my wife, my family, and the work I do off the field is paramount to feeling whole.
Just trying not to have a weakness in any part of my game - that's always been the approach in all aspects of my game: when the team needs me to run block, needs me to pass block, whether it comes naturally or not.
Being a tight end, you have to be able to do everything. You have to be able to run routes; you have to be able to block, pass-protect, and run with the ball after a catch. So, that's how I attack my workouts - focusing on doing everything.
Glute bridges make sure my hips are staying in line. Making sure that I'm not putting added stress on the hamstrings, hip flexors, or groin. Being able to stabilize the hips is pretty much the center of playing football, so you can stay healthy.
If you look at the great tight ends in this league, the first thing that stands out is touchdowns. Just like at fantasy football. That's where a lot of guys get the respect, with touchdowns... That's the 'fantasy points' that everyone points out.
If I could get better on the field, I could get better in my interviews. I took that approach: if there's something I'm deficient in, whether it be in relationships, whether it be talking to people, just that self-reflection to seek people out who can help me.
My seventh-grade year, I played football. I was, like, 15 pounds overweight, so I had to lose a ton of weight. They put me at left tackle; they put me on the defensive line. I absolutely hated football. I didn't want to play again. Eighth grade year, I didn't play.
When I was 16 years old, watching football for the first time, the Cowboys were always on TV - unfortunately, looking back at it now - but Jason Witten was the guy who carried himself, in my opinion as a 16-year-old kid, the right way. He was a phenomenal tight end.