Steve Largent

“I always thought of myself is a private-sector person. I was a reluctant candidate. I put in my time. Now it's somebody else's turn to take charge. But I am still very interested in politics.”

“I can't tell you how important it is for people on the public stage to utilize that stage in a constructive, positive way. When you're in the public eye, you have a decision to make - whether you are going to be an influence or not.”

“When you are playing, it is so hard to think about what life will be like after football. I understand. When you are playing, and you are young, you think you can play your whole life. You think it will never change. But it will change. You can't play forever. No one can.”

“I needed somebody to love me, and the people that I chose were my coaches. I would sacrifice my body to be successful for my coaches because I wanted them to love me, to respect me, to have positive feelings about me.”

“The tag that I was too small and too slow just made me work that much harder. Besides, quickness is more important than flat-out speed. How often does a receiver run 40 yards straight down the field? Not very often. Lateral speed is what counts. How quickly can you get in and out of a cut? I can do that as well as anyone.”

“I might not be a great athlete, but I think I'm a real good football player.”

“They say politics is a contact sport, and I have to agree with that.”

“Where is the harm in the wireless industry?”

“Any kid who grew up with an alcoholic parent will tell you how nauseating it feels never to know what it will be like when you come home.”

“I'm not bragging, but just going Sunday to Sunday, it will be a real rare game when I don't catch a pass.”

“When a child grows up without a father, there is an empty place where someone must stand, providing an example of character and confidence.”

“I think leadership is more than just being able to cross the t's and dot the i's. It's about character and integrity and work ethic.”

“People are very protective of their cell phones, how it's used, where it's used and how much it costs. It has become a very personal issue for a whole lot of people in this country.”

“Some receivers are like sports cars: they have a lot of speed and flair. Me, I'm like an old pickup truck. I just bounce around and try to get the job done.”

“I think when you've been exposed to the Creator of the universe, then the federal government doesn't seem very powerful.”

“I've always had this nightmare of going back to the Kingdome and seeing myself waddle in bald, overweight, with a big belly hanging over my belt, and I just imagine people going, 'That's Steve Largent?'”

“Sometimes Congress likes to milk an issue.”

“When you start thinking about taking pictures, sending an e-mail, receiving an e-mail, speaking into your phone and have it transcript voice into text and then sent as an e-mail, it's mind-boggling.”

“We're not necessarily the ski boat, we're the skier. There are countries like Japan and Korea and others who are the ski boat at this point, but we're getting pulled right behind them.”

“No culture that has ever embraced homosexuality has survived.”