Ninety years after slavery, blacks were still segregated from whites. They still had separate drinking fountains, separate restrooms, separate neighborhoods, and separate schools. They still were expected to sit at the back of the bus.
— Benjamin Watson
Whether in the locker room, the community, or at home, our goal should not be to simply behave in a specific way. It should instead be to instill the correct values in our hearts, so that our actions will flow out unimpeded, confirming what we truly believe.
I think, over the time that you're in the league, you learn what your body needs: you learn the amount of soft tissue work you need, the amount of dry needling, or the amount of sleep or your nutrition. You also understand that you have to pull back.
You never really get to the point in any offense - even when I was in New England for six years - where things don't change.
In the public, it seems to be painted that when minorities get pregnant, they need to get abortions, especially when it comes to teen pregnancy. It's like, when black girls are pregnant, it's like a statistic, but when white girls get pregnant, they get a TV show.
Usually, 'All Lives Matter' comes as a response to 'Black Lives Matter'; it doesn't exist in a vacuum. So when people say 'Black Lives Matter,' a lot of times the response 'All Lives Matter' can seem very condescending, dismissive to 'Black Lives Matter.'
What I've found, and what Scripture tells us, is that your faith is not something on the side, something you carry with you - it is inherently who you are.
I pride myself on leaving no stone unturned as far as being the most prepared that I can be.
You can be a great father if you are willing to let God use you as an instrument.
Preacher's kids usually go one way or the other - way wild, or they follow in their dad's footsteps.
I didn't know if I was going to be drafted, period. I remember sitting there and just praying that whatever God has for me to happen, and I didn't get any calls from anybody else the whole round. And then I got a call from New England five hours after the draft started.
I would say that we all - in whatever world we're in, whatever your occupation is, we all have a path to walk. We all have struggles.
I'm a Georgia guy; we can run.
I know God has a plan for me. I don't know what it is.
White people think one thing and black people think another thing about the same event. And we automatically, before we really know what happened, kind of pick our sides.
When you are a free agent like I was, it definitely makes a big difference when you know there's stability at the quarterback position.
My goals in football helped make me disciplined and focused in all areas of my life.
My grandfather was born in 1920. His grandfather was born in 1860, at the beginning of the Civil War, into an America where slavery had yet to be abolished. And so, as I have sometimes thought about it, I dodged slavery by just five generations.
One thing I struggled with early in my career was the delicate balance between my performance and my identity. When things on the field went well, I was cheerful and felt important. When things went poorly, my countenance and self-concept plummeted, and I was not pleasant to be around.
I've had a number of injuries; I've had a number of surgeries, and I've been able to bounce back from them. I attribute that to Him as much as me just trying to take care of myself as much as I can.
The only way to really cure what's on the inside is understanding that Jesus Christ died for our sins.
The reason why 'Black Lives Matter' is a chant is because a lot of people feel, myself included, that sometimes they don't matter.
Athletes are in a position where others think they shouldn't weigh in on certain social topics.
Good players on good teams don't get too high, don't get too low. They're even-keeled, and they go about their business the right way.
God blessed me with great talent and good genetics. Plus, he blessed me with a good work ethic and a drive to want to be the best.
I have to learn the plays before I can worry about getting passes thrown to me.
If you're going to play football, why not be the best at it that you can be and fulfill your potential?
It feels great, definitely feels great to have your number called and be a part of the offense.
Overwhelmingly, I would say I've had really good support from many of my teammates and guys that I've played with. We want to be able to express our views. You know, we're part of this country, too.
You grow up a certain way, and you make decisions within your family, but then you go to college, and the decisions become harder. You are away from home, from the influence of your parents, dealing with peer pressure. There's a lot of stuff that goes on in college.
So much of football relates to Christian life - sacrifice, commitment, discipline.
The amazing thing about a football team is we can disagree and fight like brothers, but then we come back together. We are able to be open and honest about things that may offend us.
In order to win in this league, you have to have a quarterback who can make all the throws, who makes great decisions, somebody who can get you out of bad situations, that just gives you a chance.
Goals give you a mark to shoot for and keep you motivated when you face adversity.
By deciding to live our lives based on solid values and unwavering truth, we can leave a legacy for the young men and boys who want nothing more than to follow in our footsteps.
The NFL goes to great lengths to protect what it calls 'the integrity of the game.' The same should be said for us as individuals. Integrity, the truthful interaction of word and deed, not only creates leaders in the locker room who are worthy of being followed; it is also vital for success at home.
I've been blessed by God to be able to perform.
Writing a book is not a small undertaking, but God placed it on my heart to trust Him with such a project.
I think that part of the issue here is when people hear 'Black Lives Matter,' sometimes they think that someone is saying your life doesn't matter, and that's not what 'Black Lives Matter,' at least to me, is saying.
When you pass from death into the life, you become a new person, and so everything you do flows from that.
It sounds kind of cliche when teams say, 'Us against the world,' but that's the mentality you have to have. There are so many opinions out there that come from media, that come from your family or come from people on TV.
Jesus meets the physical needs of kids but also tells them how to save their soul.
Fortunately for me, I had a father who didn't let us get away with anything. You were taught respect, and you were taught to be humble. That has a lot to do with how I am now, because I'm still scared of my dad.
I figure if you're going to go to class, you might as well make an A.
When you go to work, you are a Christian at your workplace. You're not a broadcaster who happens to be Christian. You're a Christian.
Amazingly, I think that a lot of times athletes are - are kind of in a position where other think they shouldn't weigh in on certain social topics.
My grandmother and my father always said I would end up as a missionary. Well, I feel like I am one now.
The captain thing was really an honor, and it was really flattering for me. It was really something that I didn't expect, and I would say that was the highlight of my career so far, being elected captain by my peers.
There are certain teams in the NFL that have a certain aura about them, and there's a certain respect level about them.
I can tell my grandkids that I played with Drew Brees and Tom Brady, and Flacco will definitely be added to that list.
