I was sad to leave Green Bay, and I don't think I would have left to go anywhere but home to Carolina.

I guess more than anything, Green Bay just felt like home. You know, small town, good people who love their football... it was a really great experience being a part of that culture.

I've learned a lot. Being more compassionate.

Obviously, we know people aren't as fortunate and blessed as we are. I learned a little bit about the impact we have as professionals, and how we can help, how impactful it is for just your presence.

That one thing that people say about me taking plays off, I feel like somebody said that when I was playing in college and it has followed me throughout my career. Because I feel like if we had the film and you wanted to pick one person who was taking a play off on a particular play, you could pick anybody.

I never felt like my effort was a problem.

I love the game just as much as anybody else. But at the same time, I also understand that life is more than football, too. People might get that misconstrued sometimes, too, that I don't care because I'm not die-hard football, eat, sleep and drink it all day and all night.

You need a certain type of balance in life and I know where to put football in its proper place. But my love for the game, I have it just like everybody else. If you don't, you're going to get yourself hurt out there.

Every game, well most of them, come down to turnovers and the turnover battle.

I was never focused on winning individual awards. I just tried to help the team out and do all that I could do.

I'm not above criticism.

You know, I think sometimes certain players - and I don't name names - but certain players have a certain haircut, they have certain sack celebrations. They draw a lot of attention to themselves.

If my play is not to run and chase the ball, if my play is to stay backside, then I've got to stay backside. I've got to be disciplined. I can't run across the field and chase stuff that's not mine.

As a pass-rusher, 100 sacks is a big milestone. My 100th sack was on Joe Webb.

Basically, if I decide to retire I don't want it to be one of those situations where, you know, after a couple of months I have the itch to play again. That's not something I want to do. I want to put a lot of thought into it and make the final decision. I don't want to waver on it at all.

I don't know too many pass rushers playing at 40.

You think about it sometimes. I try not to think about it too much. You think about you can't play forever.

When you get into the game, you're trying to win games. So you want your best players out there.

I got booed a lot of places.

A guy like Drew Brees is a guy that knows how to undress a defense. Most of the time he knows where he's gonna go before he even gets the ball. So he's ready to deliver that ball almost as soon as it comes to his hands.

People change teams all the time. People might not go from Green Bay to Chicago or from Chicago to Green Bay all the time, but people change teams all the time.

There comes a time when you can't play as much.

Sometimes you have to protect players from themselves.

That's my thing. Pass rusher, yeah, you can call me a pass rusher.

Sometimes you get looked at harder than other people. I can take the criticism and I can take the heat.

I didn't know I was different athletically for a long time. I thought everyone did the sort of things that I can do.

I'm not living my life out there trying to make everybody happy. I'm doing things that I feel like are right and things that I believe in.

There are only a few times in a man's life where you have the chance to stand up for something that you believe in and make a statement.

I'll always love the city of Chicago.

It's tough to find the words to say to someone who has lost everything. I can't imagine how it feels.

I just live day to day, in the present. And I try to just be that best version of myself every day - I don't look too far behind, I don't look too far forward.

I get bashful in the spotlight. Even at home or at a birthday party, I hate that stuff.

I didn't want to do media or appearances. You've got to do this and that, fly here to film something. I didn't want to cut into my time for that. You can't pay for your peace of mind and your sanity.

Sometimes you've got to do things you don't want to do. Doing the right thing is not always comfortable; it doesn't always feel good.

You can try your best and do everything right for the most part and still not get sacks, and sometimes you can get sacks that fall into your lap.

There's gonna be times where I don't get sacks, where other guys have two- and three-sack games.

Truth be told, that's really one of the small reasons that I wanted to get out; because everybody knows your business in Charlotte.

People that really know me know how I work.

My approach is going to be all about winning games. All the rest of that stuff will take care of itself.

To be honest with you, it really doesn't get me excited to see anybody get injured.

Tom Brady is a great player who can beat you.

I think I was just born like that, a personality trait. I'm an observer.

You can be an emotional, high-strung guy, and that might work for you. I think I can be reserved and quiet and play as well as the next guy.

I never said I had to be the highest-paid defensive player. That really wasn't the most important thing.

I can assure everyone that there is no academic fraud as it relates to my college transcript. I took every course with qualified members of the UNC faculty and I earned every grade whether it was good or bad.

It feels great to be a Packer.

You have to be a smart player as well as a hard worker.

I've always looked around and pretty much knew that I was built a little different.

Finding real friends - that's something that was an obstacle for me. And learning how to deal with my problems and talking about them.

Talking to your parents is a great idea - if you have that relationship with them.