My thing is trying to convince them they can win.

Few people get to earn a living at what they like to do and there are hazards in any profession. Football is something I was made for. I gave the game all I could for as long as I could. I guess my only regret was that my career was too short.

If I were young, fast, healthy, and had a lot of money and my whole sex life ahead of me, I'd retire - like Secretariat.

Anything that happens that's good, they think, Oh, it's an accident, when is the roof caving in? You've got to get them out of that mental framework.

I want to be recognized as the best-no doubt about it. When they say all-pro middle linebacker, I want them to mean Butkus!

When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something.

The bottom line is that these athletes tend to be safer investments because they really value their marketing opportunities. They don't make as much money as during their active careers.