Tony Gonzalez

“My mother was an administrator at a nursing home, and my first job was working at a nursing home as an activities assistant. She wanted me to do it because it forces you out of your shell, and it's about giving back. That's something that I learned from my mother at a very young age.”

“It ain't how you start out, it's how you finish.”

“I'm always very honest.”

“Coach Vermeil was the greatest.”

“You take it one game at a time because it's the most important game of the season.”

“When you go through those hard times, that's when you ask those questions that normally you wouldn't. If you win, you don't ask questions. You don't worry about it.”

“There are injuries nobody's even around the guy, and the guy's getting hurt.”

“When I came into the league trying to party and having too much of a good time, I found out the hard way how it affected my performance.”

“There's a lot of growing you can have when you're in adversity, when you're in a losing situation.”

“What's more important than your nutrition? What's more important than workin' out? It begins with gettin' a good night's sleep.”

“The Pro Bowl is an honor, and I don't know why so many people skip it. I skipped it one time because I played the week before, but I always wanted to be out there.”

“I love a sleep mask, havin' total darkness is essential for good sleep, you know, cuttin' that light out of your eyes.”

“Chiefs fans know how I feel about them and so do the Atlanta Falcons fans.”

“I've been able to play for some of the best fans in the NFL.”

“The first thing I do after I wake up is a morning meditation. It's just as I awake and before I open my eyes. It's where I'm feeding my gratitude and the love in my heart and opening my heart. A good morning meditation is key. It lasts about 10 to 15 minutes. Then I get out of bed.”

“I believe in a higher power. Some people out there don't.”

“There aren't many football players other than kickers who are Latin.”

“It's great because growing up, especially being a Raiders fan and then playing with Marcus, I was like, 'Holy smokes, that's Marcus Allen' when I first walked in and saw him.”

“I didn't start my whole rookie year.”

“Whether it's in the weight room or extra stretching, you never know when you're going to need that little extra oomph.”