My work ethic came from my parents and my fear of failure. I came from a small, predominantly black school and I didn't want to let them down.

Not wanting to disappoint is what pushed me to be successful.

I had to work hard and hit the books because the opportunity to play in the NFL is not really that big, so I knew I needed something to fall back on. That’s the message I want to send to those kids when I talk to them in person and let them know the most important thing is getting your education.

Like I said, repetition in practice and hard work.

You know, I never looked down the road and said, 'Hey look, one day, the Hall of Fame.' It's always about playing each and every game 100 percent and I thank my teammates for getting me into the Hall because football is a team sport, not an individual sport.

To me it was never about what I accomplished on the football field, it was about the way I played the game.

I went out there to play my game for the fun of it and never based my career around records.