In the NFL a lot of times everyone gets caught up in the business side of things. For them it’s all about money and it really leaves a sour taste in your mouth.
You can lose a game but, I see guys every week including myself, you lose a game, it’s a tough loss, you’re down, two weeks later you forgot about it. You know it’s amazing how down you were, but all of the sudden you’re like it never happened.
It’s been six years since I have had a drink and I have two girls, and my priorities are a lot different now and I just can’t believe I was that guy. And I would not go back, I would not trade the way I am now for anything.
It’s not so much about killing an animal, it’s being at peace and you don’t have to worry about all the other things that go on. That’s a couple of hours a week that you get to escape but it’s nice to do that.
I’m thankful for all the things that this job has given me and my family. But probably the thing that I am most proud of throughout my career is that, not only myself, but my family and the people around me have just been regular people, which we are.
Well even before she was diagnosed with the cancer, I would have said that she was a lot tougher than me and most guys would probably say that about their wives and it’s probably true in most cases.
Initially, I know that I handled it worse than she did and I think partly because I’ve always been… every bit of adversity I’ve faced up until the last year and a half is adversity I brought upon myself – or the opposing teams have given me.
You have to believe you’re great. You have to have an air about you. My success wasn’t because I was a great talent, but because I wanted it more than anybody else. Every minute I step on that field, I want to prove I’m the best player in the league.
And having a strong family, you know we’ve lost some members of our family and had some setbacks, but I think a good family and kids all those things I thought at one time… you got to be kidding me… Those things are so important they enable you to go on.
Just, you never know what the next day is going to bring. That goes for football, goes for off the field, and I gave up a long time ago trying to predict the future and trying to deal with things I couldn’t deal with.
God, he deals you blows that at sometimes you think you can’t handle and in the last year there have been things that we thought we couldn’t handle but we’ve dealt with it up until this point.
My wife, she still gives me a hard time, and says I hunt too much or I like to play golf too much. And she’s probably right, but it sure beats some of the things I used to do.
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.
