Quotes from Mark Schlereth

Try to walk into the gym with the mindset that you're going to do a different thing every day. Whether that means a new exercise, a new order for your routine, a new pace, or more resistance, your body will help you get out of that rut.

The NFL is not a national pastime. It's a national addiction.

Instead of doing cardio before I lift, as I usually do, I might do it first, doing 35 to 45 minutes of lifting before I get on the elliptical. Suddenly, it feels fresh and new and different, and that can be enough to give me a new outlook and improved mindset.

I'm just not that way. I have always been an affectionate, warm guy, and I've never been embarrassed to tell someone I love them. Those are three words we were all created to hear, and that we need to hear.

I don't distract myself from work stuff with funny emails and surfing the internet when I'm at work; I don't distract myself from my family when I'm with them.

I think you'll be surprised at how much more production you can get out of employees if you respect them, befriend them, let them know they're crucial to the company - and then show by example how important it is to put their nose to the grindstone.

Sometimes it feels like I spend half my time in planes or airports.

My favorite players in January aren't those living the charmed playoff life, but the guys who can get up when they're knocked down, who forget the last mistake so they can make the next big play.

During the playoffs, some players have more second-guessing and outright doubt to deal with than others.

I love to see a guy who keeps plugging away make the most of his chance. You look at any successful team, and there's always a player or two who seems to come out of nowhere to help lift that team to new heights.

As I traveled around the league for FOX and called games, really good coaches know how to exploit the weakness of an opponent.

My biggest strength is knowing my weaknesses. And my biggest weakness used to be time off.

Preparation occurs in the week before the game, and continues during the game as you notice trends and talk to the coaches when you're on the sidelines. And it continues right up to the snap, putting yourself in a position to make plays.

For anyone who wants to tell me time of possession doesn't matter, you're a moron. It matters.

Was I afraid before every game I played? Did I throw up before kickoff? You bet. But I didn't let that fear cripple me and keep me in the locker room.

When the kids come home, we get back into the same routines: Sitting around the table, flipping grief to each other and laughing about it.

You're training to be fit, not to make a squad, and introducing new exercises and routines that are tailored towards your goals will help you win the game you're playing now: life.

It was a big change for me not to go into the weight room and train like a football player - I'd been programmed my whole life to go in and make myself stronger so that I could push people around.

When I came out of college, I wasn't much of a weight room juggernaut. I was drafted in the 10th round out of the University of Idaho after literally begging teams to work me out.

I know coffee tastes even better with a little something to munch on between sips. But make that an apple or some other fruit.

One reason I've had success is that I try to think of everyone around me as more important than myself - teammates, coaches, equipment guys, everybody.

Among the many things that I loved about playing football was sitting around the locker room with teammates and poking fun at each other with sophomoric slams, each one more ridiculous than the next.

I was a needy person. I think most pro athletes are. We're all used to a lot of attention.

I pride myself on having been a productive player in the NFL for 12 seasons.