Quotes from Brian Flores

Look, that rookie year you got a lot going on. You got to get a house, you got to get a car, you have to move to a whole new city. I mean, there are so many things that are going on.

You have to make sacrifices if you want to do what you want to do in this world. If you really want something you make the sacrifice. If you don't, you don't.

The Rooney Rule is intended to give minorities an opportunity to sit down in front of ownership, but I think what it's turned into is an instance where guys are just checking the box. That's been the case. I've been on some interviews in the past where I've had that feeling.

I remember being a first-year position coach and going into next season saying 'I should have been better last year, I'm better now.'

I'm my own man. I'm Brian Flores.

I have been in this league for a long time, and if you are not motivated on a daily basis, you won't be in this league long - that's players, coaches, that's personnel, that's everybody.

This game has done a lot for me personally. I've said this before, football really leveled the playing field for me as a person.

I'm passionate about coaching.

I've had guns pointed at me by police officers.

Well, it's always a goal to be consistent all the way throughout the game.

Everybody talks about, 'This guy is talented; that guy is talented.' The talent on the team and a lot of things in this game come down to focus, execution, not making a bad penalty. Really, that's not a talent issue. It's a focus issue; it's a mindset issue.

I think there's a discipline, a toughness, a respect for the game that I learned in New England that I think is just basic, the way football's supposed to be taught and practiced and preached.

Early is on time, on time is late and late is forgotten. Is it a rule? No. It's my personal mantra, and I feel like I have a lot of respect for time. I really do. It's precious. We shouldn't take it for granted.

This is a demanding league, so we've gotta be demanding on our players. They need to understand that.

I'm black. I grew up poor. I grew up in New York during the stop-and-frisk era. I've been stopped because I fit a description before.

I'm not really into individual awards, especially in a team game like this.

I come in, I work hard, I do everything I can to help the team win and wherever the chips fall they fall.

Those things that are basically foundational - hard work, high standards, playing for your teammates, putting the team first - those things are ingrained in my fabric.

I'm tough on the players. I think you need to be tough on them so they can be disciplined.

I think the term tanking, I think it's disrespectful to the game. I really do. I don't like that term. I don't like when people use it.

I'm going to try to get our team to work hard, play together, play with good fundamentals and technique, play as a team, try to put the team first. That's a hard thing to accomplish as a coach. That's my goal. You can call it whatever you want. You can call it 'Patriot Way,' but to me, it's just trying to coach and play good football.

Anytime I get to get out there, to help somebody with a technique, a fundamental, I'm in my happy place.

You can't have a good play without good fundamentals.

You can say all you want about first down, second down, but it starts with fundamentals.