I want to be respected based on how I play.
— Adam Thielen
I've always been a very observant person, a visual person. That's my way of learning. Things on paper, notes and things like that, don't help me the same way as watching things live.
I had a coach when I was getting recruited say maybe you should play basketball at a Division III level, because you're not good enough to play football in college.
You know, the media always tries to twist things and make things into what they're not.
I don't care what people think about me.
You have to be different on the field than you are at home.
I do get recognized every once in a while.
Just trust that good things will happen if you're working hard and making plays.
I honestly don't care about individual awards or statistics.
When you're coming into training camp, there's not a whole lot that is familiar. When you can grab something from it, it keeps you calm and helps you just play football.
I think everybody individually does things a little differently. As a quarterback, every quarterback has their strengths and their weaknesses.
When we go out, we have our favorite places, and the great thing about Minnesota is that most Minnesotans are pretty respectful of your time when you're with your family.
You make yourself tougher in the offseason.
I love when people think I'm not a good receiver.
In high school I just loved to compete and play sports. I didn't have a sport that I was going to say, 'Hey, I'm going to play this at the next level.' Whatever my best opportunity was was what I was going to do.
I was pretty realistic about my chances of being drafted.
I really try to avoid looking at or thinking about my stats because I'm just trying to do my part in winning games.
The guys who play at a high level probably think they are better than they are, and that's all right.
In the NFL, there's never really that moment where you're like, Hey, I made the team. Or: Hey, you made the practice squad. You just kind of show up the next day and go to work. Nobody really says anything. You just kind of go to work.
For me, after every game you look yourself in the mirror and ask 'what can i do better, what can i do to help this team?' Then you go back to the drawing board and you go back and you work hard.
I wouldn't take back having a kid for the world.
I don't care if people think I'm one of the best receivers or one of the worst receivers. I don't really care.
Joe Mauer, as a local guy, I've looked up to him.
I would not be in the NFL, 100 percent, if it wasn't for basketball. I probably wouldn't be where I am without golf and baseball. Golf, for the mental side of the game, being able to focus on the now and take one shot at a time.
As a competitor, as an athlete, you want the ball to come to you.
I always played 'FIFA' and stuff like that growing up, and seeing those guys celebrate, I kind of got inspiration from that.
I have a lot of things to work on, a lot of things to get better at, which is good.
For us, we're homebodies. My wife and I like to be at home with family.
I've never been a numbers guy. Numbers don't excite me. Winning games excites me.
You constantly have to grind, work harder than anyone else.
I love when people think it's going to be easy to guard me.
I thought I was better at basketball, but obviously people didn't think so. But I loved them equally, whether it be baseball season, basketball, football, golf, I liked them equally.
Just because you're drafted, No. 1, doesn't mean you're going to make a team and, No. 2, it doesn't mean you're going to be around a long time. Especially at receiver, where there are only five and the last two have to play a lot of special teams or they're gone.
I'm the kind of person who always has a Plan B. I don't want to go into anything without another option.
A lot of people can talk about their faith. When you live it every day and act on the word of God, it's pretty cool to see.
I love when people doubt me. I love when people don't think that I'm good enough to play at a certain level, not good enough to be a starter, things like that. That's the stuff that drives me.
Something I remind myself every day, just do your job to the best of your ability and that's the most important thing.
I played college football for free. I had to pay to play, really.
I didn't need to be motivated by other people overlooking me. My motivation was internal, to be better every day.
Cris Carter and Randy Moss - they're the guys who made me want to play football and be a receiver.
My wife and I are breakfast people.
I think that everybody should have the same opportunities.
When I was early in my career, I really followed Twitter, seeing what people were saying about me. I definitely saw them talking about Mr. Mankato and all that. It was fun for me to have a little bit of extra support from outside people. I definitely helped me build confidence, that's for sure.
When there are things I see on tape that I think I can get better at, it frustrates me.
For me, I'm just trying to keep getting better.
Money is good and everything, but championships are what it's about.
I don't think it's much different at this level. It just feels like playing high school football, college football. It's the same games, the same routes.
I'm always going to feel like the underdog. I feel like that's the kind of mind-set I want to have and if I do lose that mind-set, I want somebody to slap me in the face and say, 'Hey, pick it up and get back to the roots.'
We actually had a toilet on the sideline in college. We had like a little mini-toilet; we'd go and flush it.
Defenses usually are trying to take away the guys who are getting a lot of catches earlier in the season.
