Jerome Bettis

“Winning starts with the ownership, whose decision-making is crucial.”

“So by the time I got to Notre Dame, I was developed mentally probably a little bit more than some of the other guys I had played college football with, just because growing up you see a lot more in Detroit than you maybe see growing up in suburban America.”

“When I look at my career, I think it's pretty unique in a sense that I'm the only guy who kind of looks like me.”

“If you're someone who is living with joint pain, it's important to go see a doctor and talk about how you can start living a pain free life.”

“You don't know what advantages other guys have, but that's sometimes that's the nature of competition.”

“If you met me when I was six, I was a chubby, mischievous kid.”

“The coaches' job is to get players to buy into a philosophy. And if the head coach doesn't have control of his coaching staff - if his assistants don't buy into it - then why should the players?”

“The captain of the football team is different from the leader of the team. The captain is the face of the team.”

“Every day, people want to talk to me about fantasy football.”

“When you have the Gold Jacket, it gives you, the phrase I like to use is 'permanent relevancy.'”

“Hot dogging gives all players a black eye. The perception of superstars percolates throughout the league, and fans can start looking at them in a different light.”

“The reality of the situation is that you play to win a championship and when you fall short regardless of how the regular season ended, you still fell short.”

“A confident Tom Brady is something to be scared of.”

“Warren Sapp, for example, is a direct result of John Randle having played the game. Some coach said, let's try this athletic and fast - but undersized - guy in-between the tackles. Then 10 years later someone says, 'Warren Sapp will be our John Randle.' That says something about the guy.”

“In my immediate family, I'll be the first person to graduate from college. But most importantly, I have two children.”

“Normally, physical players gain a psychological edge if they get in the heads of opponents. However, that reputation becomes a problem when it goes public. That's when referees get involved.”

“The city of L.A. deserves an NFL team and I'm happy that the Rams are getting the opportunity to build a winning team and bring back a championship attitude to the city of L.A. and the surrounding area.”

“When I think about my childhood, one thing comes to mind: Love.”

“As a player you're always looking for the opportunity to upgrade your team.”

“My goal was to get to college. And once I got to college and realized the opportunity there, it was to earn a living and help my family, and so at no point was there ever a time when I thought to myself that I had the ability to get to the Hall of Fame. That was never the idea.”