Tony Gonzalez

“When I got to the NFL, they asked me what number I wanted, and I said No. 44, but they told me tight ends are not allowed to have that number. So I said, 'Just double it up for me if you can' and took No. 88. I figured I'd be twice as good as I was.”

“Dealing with bullies when I was in sixth and seventh grade has made me a better football player, believe it or not. You have to come to a point when you're like, 'I've had enough, and I'm not going to be kicked around and pushed around anymore.'”

“I don't eat a lot of fast food and I stay stay away from fried foods. I don't eat much meat either.”

“Records are made to be broken. I got to break them, and now it's up to somebody else.”

“When I first started playing in a youth football league, I was the worst kid on the team. I quit the first year. And then the next year, I was still the worst kid - I didn't even play.”

“While I was playing, I started a company that didn't work out. I got a taste of the business world and realized I'm not going to be a 9-to-5 guy in the office after football is over. When the opportunity came for television. I thought, 'Let's go for it,' even though it was nerve-racking. I enjoyed it.”

“When I was younger, let's face it, Latinos in the league were almost always kickers. But Anthony Munoz was definitely a guy I looked up to.”

“I miss the fears. I miss that. I miss going over the middle and not knowing if I'm going to make that play. I think that's the part of the game you miss the most, that excitement of it. Then you think of the physical part as a retired player and I'm like, 'hell no.'”

“I don't get hurt because I'm so slow.”

“Salaries should be set based on production and contributions, not positions.”

“Would I have been a great basketball player? No. But I think I would've been a good basketball player, one of those grinders getting eight to 10 rebounds. I would've been like Kobe and been in the gym five to seven hours a day and never missed a 10-foot jump shot. I would've been a great role player for a team.”

“You have to learn from your mistakes.”

“I don't care what you read, as long as you're reading something 'cause when you read somethin', you're learning somethin'.”

“There's nothing else like playing at Arrowhead Stadium.”

“I have soaked this league up for everything it's worth. I've had fun. Made some great relationships. I don't regret anything. Don't regret being in Kansas City. It's all been very good to me. So why would I take that approach? There will be no pity party thrown here.”

“I've always wanted a ring. That's been my main goal as a player over the last 15 years of my career. You're really trying to get that ultimate goal.”

“I accept the cards that were dealt to me.”

“I love Kansas City.”

“I can't dwell on the past. It's over, there's nothing I can do about it.”

“I'm a big podcast guy, I have my own podcast called 'Wide Open.'”