Quotes from Mark Schlereth

NFL players are pros, and they're proud of the work they do.

The ability to overcome pain can be a testament to the human spirit, and it's oftentimes what sets NFL players apart from armchair quarterbacks.

I'm beat up, but that's all I know; physically, I'm beat to a pulp. But I don't know anything other than pain since I'm 18 years old.

Special teams get the shaft when most people talk football. Unless a kicker's bombing a game-winner or a return man is going the distance, that important third of the game is all but forgotten.

My parents lovingly passed down the lessons of their lives so that my sister, Jana, and I may also teach our children the foundational principles of a life well lived. There was something else my father passed on, quite unintentionally, I'm sure: learning disabilities. My father is dyslexic, and so am I.

To win a championship, you need an unselfish mindset.

I played on three Super Bowl winners as an NFL player. In two of them, my team was a favorite to win.

For me, I spend an hour sitting down, sending off e-mails and text messages to everyone in my contacts list - guys I played with, guys I work with, friends, relatives, and neighbors. I just fire off something quick that says I love you, I'm thinking about you, and if you need anything, you call me.

The one thing you have an advantage of as an offensive player is the snap count.

That's something to be proud of - to have people say that you're the kind of guy who doesn't know how to quit. Try to be that man the next time you foul up: You'll enjoy more success than you ever would by cursing the guys living the charmed lives.

Anybody can play football if they're healthy - that's easy. But at the professional level, injuries are part of the game. Aches and pains are bound to happen when you use your body like a battering ram for a living.

Around the holidays, reach out to people you don't get to see to let them know you're thinking about them.

Anyone can rise from obscurity and make a few breakout plays when no one's expecting them to. But when a guy you've got your eye on jumps out and shows you what he's made of, that he's ready to compete at the highest level at the most crucial time - that guy's the real deal.

Anyone can go all out when they can grab some glory, but the best give maximum effort at every opportunity in everything they do.

And dreams are not granted or given - they come with a price. No matter what your goal, you're bound to face adversity, and it's during that adversity, when you find out what your made of.

I'm most at peace in my home when there's chaos, and that means that my kids had their friends over a lot growing up.

In any business, a manager wants to surround himself with guys he knows he can trust. Guys who share his work ethic and philosophy. Guys he can count on to execute his plan.

Just about every Super Bowl team takes the first 3 days after the conference championship to get their players' ducks in a row: They purchase tickets, set family up with hotels, and take care of other loose ends. After that, it's work time.

We've seen safeties, especially middle of the field safeties, we've seen those guys get paid. Like every one of those guys has gone out on the market and gotten a heap of money.

You know it and I know it - if we tell ourselves we're going to get to our workout in later, it won't get done. If you don't plan for it, it's probably not going to get done.

Treat exercise like a savings plan. Take that workout time off the top of your day. Ideally, you work out before your business day has even started. If you're able to get into that routine, you're golden.

Taking time off if you're not banged up can be trouble. It can lead to bad habits - in your workouts and in your diet.

Football players are constantly talking about their workouts, trading secrets, helping each other become the best players they can be. Now that I'm retired, it's no different.

When a team starts to win, the confidence filters down through the roster. Everyone gets pumped up about the success. Everyone works harder. Everyone wants to be part of the glory.