Carson Palmer
When you have to worry about some idiot making the decision on a roster move, or hiring coaches, or some of the stuff you have to worry about... when you have that added pressure and stress of not trusting the organization and knowing that they don't know what they're doing, that's just an added amount of stress you don't need as a young player.
My five years in Arizona were so much fun because we were winning and I knew how to enjoy it because I knew the other side of it.
In order to win in the NFL... you've got to be desperate to win a championship.
When the Broncos or the Steelers are winning everybody wants defense. When the Rams and Saints are scoring 50 points a game, it seems everybody is looking for a young offensive mind.
I think it's important, whether it be learning from how a guy takes care of his body, how a guy studies, how a guy is a mentor, how a guy is a leader, you take bits and pieces that fit the person you are and you don't try to be somebody you're not.
I think Burrow is gonna be a great NFL quarterback.
Quarterbacks running in the SEC typically translate over well to the pro game. If you can run, take off and get 10 yards here and there against SEC defenses, there's a good chance that you can do that at the NFL level as well.
I don't cry.
There's some jobs that are easier than others, that's for sure.
My favorite receiver of all time? You can't pick a favorite receiver.
As long as I have the ability and the health to play, and continue to enjoy it, I don't want to stop.
I love the game, working out, studying, every facet of it.
I love it. You love being offensive on offense.
If you still produce at the quarterback position, it doesn't matter what age you are.
The decision to retire was 100 percent just me, and so you're never sure how you're going to feel.
The only thing I can tell you about a Super Bowl ring is, hey, not everybody gets one. But that's something I have to live with.
Anytime you get traded, you are trying to figure out what freeways get you where, and where the meal room is, and where the locker room is, and you get yourself used to that.
I have learned a ton, I have experienced a ton and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
It's such a passionate fan base in Arizona, and such a smart fan base.
I can also sympathize with fans because I'm a fan myself.
I know the feeling after a catastrophic loss, to be so close and have it all just end.
I know what it's like to be excited for a big game. I know what it's like to be heartbroken after losing to a rival. I know what it's like to lose a key player to injury.
I never watched a Heisman ceremony when I was a kid. I didn't even know it was held at the Downtown Athletic Club when I was a candidate. I thought it was at Radio City Music Hall or something.
When I was a kid, I just wanted to be outside. I didn't grow up watching football. Didn't ever watch a college game. I watched 'Monday Night Football' because my dad liked it, but we didn't sit around on Sundays. I was outside, playing, training, whatever.
I remember after that, when it was announced I was going to the Heisman ceremony, I didn't think I was going to win it because everybody was saying there was a bias against West Coast teams. I really hadn't paid attention to it. Winning the Heisman wasn't really a goal when I was younger. My goal was to go to USC and win a national championship.
I don't like being singled out.
I just think every situation is so different, every team is so different and every organization is so different.
The head coach makes the decision about what's best for the team.
I've played in every type of situation. But to not have one run in the playoffs where you just make one of those magical runs? That's what I want.
When you really think about it and look at the number of quarterbacks who come through the league, not many of them have Super Bowl careers.
I'm not going to be depressed about my career however it ends because I've met great people, I've played with great teammates, I've played for great coaches, and I've lived out a lifelong dream. But it wasn't just about a dream of playing in the NFL. It was about a dream of playing in the NFL and winning Super Bowl rings.
It's my job to work hard and do things right.
I've been on a number of teams where there are guys you can't stand seeing walking into the facility on a Wednesday.
I don't think anything motivates you more than not having a job.
I guess that's one of the things about playing quarterback. The quarterback gets most of the recognition.
I learned a lot from all the mistakes I've made.
I've learned simply from playing so many games.
I know I've had many great mentors and role models and guys to look up to; guys I've learned a lot from so I know how to approach being that guy and I've been doing it for a long time.
Football, for me, is the best medicine in the world. This is what I love.
I've been playing quarterback for a long time, and there's a ton of expectations no matter where you are and how you got there. That's part of the game and part of the position. That's part of the reason I love playing the position, is the expectations and the pressure and all of the outside things that come along with it.
That's why I like to play golf, because I'm terrible at it and it's so difficult.
For 15 years I have been lucky enough to play quarterback in the NFL and it has been the most incredible experience of my life. There wasn't one second that I took it for granted or failed to appreciate what a tremendous privilege it is.
I've thrown a lot of curls over the years.
When you like the coach and the guys in the locker room, and you know you can still play at a high level, and you feel like you can help take a team to a Super Bowl, and you know you're job's not gonna be as hard as it may have been before - it's just fun.
There's so many factors that go into a Super Bowl championship that rely heavily on the organization.
Football is great and I love it and I'm so fortunate and blessed to be able to do it. But I wholeheartedly believe I'm not defined by what I do on the football field. I'm defined by the father I am, the husband I am, the family member I am and the impact I have on others.
I love Sunday night after the game - you win, you go to the parking lot, you grab a beer, hang out for a little bit. Then I can't wait to get home and watch the game on my iPad. I love getting in Monday, and I can't wait to see what the team we are getting ready to play is doing on third down.
I think a lot of guys make a mistake of training less as they get older. I think the older you get, the harder you have to train. Maybe you don't train as long, but the intensity goes up.
I'm not a guy who can sit there and look at a diagram of a play and understand it.