Quotes on Pro

It was a very long and hard decision. My dad kept telling me, 'You can always go to college, but you can't always go pro.' That made sense to me.

When you're a pro athlete, life is very narcissistic - everything relates back to you and how you play. When you are getting out of pro sports, you suddenly have to get a little more mindful of what's going on around you and how you affect the rest of the world.

I made it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But all I want in this world is for my kids to say, 'He was a Hall of Fame dad.'

The pro skaters I know are responsible members of society. Many of them are fathers, homeowners, world travelers and successful entrepreneurs. Their hairdos and tattoos are simply part of our culture, even when they raise eyebrows during PTA meetings.

I made the decision to turn pro, and I remember what Ali said to me: 'Get Angelo Dundee. He's the right complexion with the right connection.' He knew boxing. Our relationship was so genuine, so sincere.

We never knew we'd have kids playing pro football or going to Super Bowls. That wasn't ever a part of our plan in raising kids, so we really feel blessed.

Once you turn pro and you're making the big money and kids are buying your sneakers and your skates and your gloves and so on, you are a member of that role model club.

When I look at my situation, yes, there were a lot of things... small school, didn't play much... but I knew that when I played, I won. And I also played in more of a pro system, so I understood the game of football. That helped me translate when I finally did get my opportunity.

I walked away from pro football and a $2.9 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers because I didn't want to develop CTE.