I think Ricky Williams had his time in the limelight. And I think it was good for what it was worth, and that was that.

The people that I see on the street, they treat me more as a human being and not just an icon or a football player.

Now that I have conquered social anxiety disorder, I find pleasure in fans approaching me.

I can look back at it now as definitely like an initiation into adulthood. Almost overnight in the NFL, I was put on a pedestal and I was supposed to be this icon or this image of what a professional athlete was supposed to be. I felt like I just got stuck trying to be someone else and I forgot who I actually was.

I had this notion that everyone was staring at me and judging everything about me, from my appearance to the way I talk and everything.

I think if I were a college professor, no one would say I was uncomfortable about being shy because that might be expected. But I think because of people's stereotypes, they think of a football player as someone who is very outgoing and I'm not.

Greatness is the willingness to choose in the midst of intensity.