I've been blessed by God to be able to perform.

I've had a number of injuries; I've had a number of surgeries, and I've been able to bounce back from them. I attribute that to Him as much as me just trying to take care of myself as much as I can.

I think, over the time that you're in the league, you learn what your body needs: you learn the amount of soft tissue work you need, the amount of dry needling, or the amount of sleep or your nutrition. You also understand that you have to pull back.

The NFL goes to great lengths to protect what it calls 'the integrity of the game.' The same should be said for us as individuals. Integrity, the truthful interaction of word and deed, not only creates leaders in the locker room who are worthy of being followed; it is also vital for success at home.

One thing I struggled with early in my career was the delicate balance between my performance and my identity. When things on the field went well, I was cheerful and felt important. When things went poorly, my countenance and self-concept plummeted, and I was not pleasant to be around.

Whether in the locker room, the community, or at home, our goal should not be to simply behave in a specific way. It should instead be to instill the correct values in our hearts, so that our actions will flow out unimpeded, confirming what we truly believe.

By deciding to live our lives based on solid values and unwavering truth, we can leave a legacy for the young men and boys who want nothing more than to follow in our footsteps.

My grandfather was born in 1920. His grandfather was born in 1860, at the beginning of the Civil War, into an America where slavery had yet to be abolished. And so, as I have sometimes thought about it, I dodged slavery by just five generations.

Ninety years after slavery, blacks were still segregated from whites. They still had separate drinking fountains, separate restrooms, separate neighborhoods, and separate schools. They still were expected to sit at the back of the bus.

All I'm saying is, is God the god who we look to for comfort during tragedies? Is he the god who can control all those things, or is he the god that we don't even trust with our daily lives... As long as there's prayer and exams, as long as there's games, there will be prayers.

I don't approve of many of the attacks of Black Lives Matter. I don't.

There comes a place where you need to respect. When people are speaking, you don't comment.

There are certain things you don't say that's disrespectful. They detract from the point you're trying to make.

Most of the guys in the NFL would sit here and tell you we don't condone the abuse of a child, any sort of abuse of a woman, breaking rules, failing drug tests, or doing any of those things. We hold ourselves to a very high standard.

You've got a league with a couple thousand players or so depending on the time of year. Then you have 10 or more very high profile stories that are terrible stories and things that have happened.

For policemen to be honest about the fact that they may be fearful when they come into a certain situation, not understanding what's going to happen. The only way things will change and things will get better is if people are able to be honest without feeling like they're going to be offended, or they're going to offend someone else.

Guys are playing fantasy football; some guys I think even play fantasy baseball. I don't get involved with it. I have five kids; I just don't have time. Not that anything's wrong with the fantasy, but I just don't have time for it with my lifestyle.

A football player at any level must set goals.

Goals give you a mark to shoot for and keep you motivated when you face adversity.

My goals in football helped make me disciplined and focused in all areas of my life.

I can tell my grandkids that I played with Drew Brees and Tom Brady, and Flacco will definitely be added to that list.

In order to win in this league, you have to have a quarterback who can make all the throws, who makes great decisions, somebody who can get you out of bad situations, that just gives you a chance.

When you are a free agent like I was, it definitely makes a big difference when you know there's stability at the quarterback position.

There are certain teams in the NFL that have a certain aura about them, and there's a certain respect level about them.

The amazing thing about a football team is we can disagree and fight like brothers, but then we come back together. We are able to be open and honest about things that may offend us.

White people think one thing and black people think another thing about the same event. And we automatically, before we really know what happened, kind of pick our sides.

The captain thing was really an honor, and it was really flattering for me. It was really something that I didn't expect, and I would say that was the highlight of my career so far, being elected captain by my peers.

So much of football relates to Christian life - sacrifice, commitment, discipline.

I know God has a plan for me. I don't know what it is.

My grandmother and my father always said I would end up as a missionary. Well, I feel like I am one now.

You grow up a certain way, and you make decisions within your family, but then you go to college, and the decisions become harder. You are away from home, from the influence of your parents, dealing with peer pressure. There's a lot of stuff that goes on in college.

I'm a Georgia guy; we can run.

Amazingly, I think that a lot of times athletes are - are kind of in a position where other think they shouldn't weigh in on certain social topics.

Overwhelmingly, I would say I've had really good support from many of my teammates and guys that I've played with. We want to be able to express our views. You know, we're part of this country, too.

I would say that we all - in whatever world we're in, whatever your occupation is, we all have a path to walk. We all have struggles.

When you go to work, you are a Christian at your workplace. You're not a broadcaster who happens to be Christian. You're a Christian.

It feels great, definitely feels great to have your number called and be a part of the offense.

I didn't know if I was going to be drafted, period. I remember sitting there and just praying that whatever God has for me to happen, and I didn't get any calls from anybody else the whole round. And then I got a call from New England five hours after the draft started.

I figure if you're going to go to class, you might as well make an A.

If you're going to play football, why not be the best at it that you can be and fulfill your potential?

Preacher's kids usually go one way or the other - way wild, or they follow in their dad's footsteps.

Fortunately for me, I had a father who didn't let us get away with anything. You were taught respect, and you were taught to be humble. That has a lot to do with how I am now, because I'm still scared of my dad.

I have to learn the plays before I can worry about getting passes thrown to me.

You can be a great father if you are willing to let God use you as an instrument.

Jesus meets the physical needs of kids but also tells them how to save their soul.

God blessed me with great talent and good genetics. Plus, he blessed me with a good work ethic and a drive to want to be the best.

I pride myself on leaving no stone unturned as far as being the most prepared that I can be.

It sounds kind of cliche when teams say, 'Us against the world,' but that's the mentality you have to have. There are so many opinions out there that come from media, that come from your family or come from people on TV.

Good players on good teams don't get too high, don't get too low. They're even-keeled, and they go about their business the right way.