Back in 1983, quarterback Tommy Kramer got hurt and the Minnesota Vikings traded for me. The plan was for me to play, but I got something called Graves' disease, an autoimmune disorder, and wound up on injured reserve.

Some parents were nervous about how they would portray everything, ... At a picnic the moms put on for the team and coaches, I said that all the reality shows are turning around and showing good things, not bad things.

Because my parents, growing up, they worked hard. Everyone in my family woke up early in the morning. I used to see my mother and my father go off to work, and come back and, no matter what, they had time for the kids.

I played the game for 20 years, and I think that kept me on the football field, being adjusted. Getting hit so many times, being all out of whack, and going in to see my chiropractor kept me back on the football field.

Young men in my day really stepped up... These were champions for freedom, equality, and justice for all human beings, and they were educated individuals that used their education and knowledge to represent their case.

Everyone asks me if piano had helped me in football. I guess improvisation and creativity helps on the field, but that's a reach. The two skills are just so different. And, by the way, I get more nervous playing piano.

I'm not afraid of flying; I just fear I'm going to die. I think I'm - vulnerable. I admit it. I don't fly. I got claustrophobia. I don't go in high buildings. I don't do those things. I'm just myself, whatever that is.

I'm appreciative that somehow I've always found a way through the years to capture a new fan base and continue to remain relevant in some space and still make a living doing what I love - to me that's all that matters.

I understand that people don't want to smoke. Fine. Don't smoke. You don't want to go into a restaurant where there's [smoking], don't go in there. But don't impose your will - the will of a few - on the lives of many.

Your destiny is to fulfill those things upon which you focus most intently. So choose to keep your focus on that which is truly magnificent, beautiful, uplifting and joyful. Your life is always moving toward something.

Well, I've learned a lot from Bill Belichick. I've said time and time again, before I got to New England, I thought I knew a lot about football. But I think he taught me a lot from A to Z. I still carry it to this day.

I think it was everything about him: his work ethic, his desire to be the best football player that he can be. He just woke up and he was just Ray Lewis, so he did pretty much everything great. He was a great teammate.

I'm me. I can't put on airs. I'm not a phony. I know the way I am hurts me more times than it helps. But somehow it's all tied up with my integrity, and my integrity is the last thing I'm going to let you take from me.

I always liked to be fairly simple because you could get more players ready to play quickly. If you lose players to free agency, injuries, etc., it is easier to get young players ready to play in a less complex system.

I think that's a struggle of every Christian, to be able to get to that point where they're in constant prayer with God - so that everything they do, in thought, in speech, in work, is praising God and worshipping God.

I don't necessarily have to like my players and associates but as their leader I must love them. Love is loyalty, love is teamwork, love respects the dignity of the individual. This is the strength of any organization.

Once a man has made a commitment to a way of life, he puts the greatest strength in the world behind him. It's something we call heart power. Once a man has made this commitment, nothing will stop him short of success.

People say how unbelievable and enjoyable this whole thing must be. But watching your children play quarterback, putting themselves on the line every game, getting smacked around and bloodied up... it's very, very hard.

Deep down, your players must know you care about them. This is the most important thing. I could never get away with what I do if the players feel I didn't care for them. They know, in the long run, I'm in their corner.

We were younger. And it's basically like looking at football classics. You see things that you did, you see things that you could've done better and you think about all the good relationships that you had with the cast.

I grew up trying to be like my idols, and one of the main people in my life was my father. He played football, and when your father is telling stories about the game he played... Everybody wants to be like their father.

I'm not Deion Sanders. We're different people with different styles. People see similarities between me and him; that's fine. It's an honor to be mentioned in the same breath with him. But that's as far as I go with it.

I have always said that I want to finish my career with the Dolphins and this put me closer to that goal. I have been fortunate to break many personal records, but my overiding goal is to win a Super Bowl here in Miami.

Hip hop is ever changing and has definitely entered a new era. Many fans have mixed feelings over the direction of rap as more and more artists are emerging with content that some would describe as less than meaningful.

Every year, I take 10 of my best friends from high school on a trip. That's kind of my way for saying thanks to them for being so loyal, for keeping me honest, and for just being great friends throughout this craziness.

It's a tremendous honor. It really is a privilege, not just a right. You're in the NFL and you wear the shield now. It means the world to me; it really is a special feeling, and my family's gotten a real kick out of it.

Really, if I'm gonna eat a meat, I'd rather eat venison than anything and I do like it a little on the rare side. That's probably my favorite meat and I've had some awfully good venison in some of the great restaurants.

Happiness is a choice, not a result. Nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy. No person will make you happy unless you decide to be happy. Your happiness will not come to you. It can only come from you.

The more closely you get in touch with your dreams, the more able you are to make them real. The more vividly you consider how you want your world to be, the more real and effective tools you will have for making it so.

With the mindset that I give everything I've got for the man that's next to me, not me, cause I know what I got while I'm by myself, but when I step on the field, when I step on the turf, what am I willing to sacrifice?

I hate to admit that. I want to win every race, but I know that's not possible. To be in the top 25 is realistic if we have any luck this year. But anything to be in the chase or something like that is very unrealistic.

My grandma told me, don't get into trouble. I know how hard she worked to take care of her own nine kids and my mama's three. And I just never wanted to hurt her. I never wanted to do something that would embarrass her.

The Rooneys are very classy. They're very deliberate with their decision-making. Once you're part of that family, Steeler nation, they treat you with respect. You don't have a lot of rambunctious players running around.

Did you know that nearly one in three children live apart from their biological dads? Those kids are two to three times more likely to grow up in poverty, to suffer in school, and to have health and behavioral problems.

We talked about some of our experiences, focusing, hanging together down the stretch, important games. It's not necessarily who has the most talent but what team sticks together and executes their fundamentals the best.

Leadership is not just one quality, but rather a blend of many qualities; and while no one individual possesses all of the needed talents that go into leadership, each man can develop a combination to make him a leader.

I think my mindset is probably the most important thing. Being able to stay positive through whatever injury I had or whatever situation I was going through and focusing on the best player and the best teammate I can be.

It's a difficult job to do, but that is why we do it. Only so many people can do it. But it, it enables you to... for a brief period of time to kind of get away. You have to go back and deal with, but it's a good escape.

There's four main pillars to the bow tie - self-representation, service, collaboration and critical thought. You have to understand how to represent yourself and critically understand how to collaborate and serve others.

I have a feeling that when you're on the cover, they supe up all your abilities in the game to a pretty high level. I'm excited to see what that equates to, like if I can throw the ball 100 yards in the air or something.

We have about 4 million people who have voted for who they want to see in the Hall of Fame. There are some people they put down that are pretty good players. You have Ray Guy, Jim Plunkett, Lester Hayes and Donnie Shell.

Defensive backs are the best players on the field. But when you get an exceptional player like a Deion Sanders or a Darrell Green - these guys are fast and they have very good technique. You have to work a little harder.

Act your age. Students do not look upon you as a buddy, pal, or peer. They expect you to be a mature adult....Many young teachers have a tendency to seek popularity, resorting to tactics that can create endless problems.

I think the biggest thing was that when I was in college, I really concentrated on personnel. That was my strength, and I was, in essence, my own recruiting coordinator. And when I went to the pros, I did the same thing.

I think I could have become an outstanding professional baseball player, but I don't think I could have reached the heights that I have in football - being one of the very top players in the game, being a world champion.

When I relentlessly pursue Christ, I put all my faith in Him to be able to play well and lead my team. With His power, we are able to pursue and play for His glory. We want to go out and show the world that Christ lives.

The game was much like our season. This game tested our toughness, our resilience, our unselfishness. It's only fitting that it turned out this way. This is a great bunch of guys to play with. I feel very, very grateful.

My parents did a great job raising me and my two sisters. We all graduated from high school and we all graduated from college. So, to be a good representative of my family is probably my greatest accomplishment thus far.

We have a lot of respect and love for Bruschi. But he's gone. That's unfortunate for us, but we have to move on. Just like if I got injured they'd have to move on without me. That's just part of the game. That's reality.

I think the great part about what I do is that there's a scoreboard. At the end of every week, you know how you did. You know how well you prepared. You know whether you executed your game plan. There's a tangible score.

Share This Page