Quotes About Football

You know how much money I could have made playing professional football as a tight end? But I can't jump, and I can't run fast. That was my problem.

Usually, you have one blocking, one catching tight end.

I play this game to be the best tight end I can possibly be and win as many football games as I possibly can.

If you go off the Senior Bowl, that's basically what I can do. I played H-back, I played fullback, I played tight end, I played slot receiver, I ran routes, I caught some balls, blocked, just doing that stuff.

Antonio Gates is spectacular. But he's not a blocking tight end.

You put a real tough tight end with good hands in the hash area, and there won't be anyone who can cover him. Then you really control the passing game.

Lionel Messi reminds me of George Best, the way he would run with the ball tight to his foot.

They tried to put me at tight end once, but I would end up just blocking people when they were actually trying to throw the ball to me. I was probably in middle school. It just didn't stick. Except on running plays.

Football is a game with tight results in which you don't need to be the dominant team; if you're a bit lucky and make the right decision at the right time, then you can be as successful as well.

No disrespect to Gronk - Travis Kelce is the best tight end in football.

When we are operating in tight spaces and when the opposition are closing us down, players like Messi can help us to create openings.

When I got to the NFL, they asked me what number I wanted, and I said No. 44, but they told me tight ends are not allowed to have that number. So I said, 'Just double it up for me if you can' and took No. 88. I figured I'd be twice as good as I was.

I became insular because at home there was no space to grow or to evolve, everything was tight and there was no room to breathe. People don't realise how that affects you as a kid. I wasn't allowed to speak, so my expression was football.

Here in the Premier League you need to be very quick mentally. Spaces are shorter and the game is much more tactical and tight.

Ideally, if you ask most tight ends, they would say we want the defender on us early. The reason for that is we feel like, for one, we know where we're going. Two, we can attack leverage, it declares itself if it's truly man coverage. We can work the release.

Like most tight ends I was a pass-receiving tight end coming into the league.

I really think for any tight end around my age, Shannon Sharpe was the guy you looked to in Denver, him and Elway and what they were able to achieve.

I played D-end and tight end.

When one tight end succeeds, everybody succeeds - like the tight ends were making under $10 million a year. To me that doesn't make any sense.

I think Gronk is one of, if not the best tight ends to ever play the game. Just his relentless mindset and the fun he has playing.

The Glaswegian definition of an atheist: a bloke who goes to a Rangers-Celtic match to watch the football.

Jerry Ford is so dumb he can't walk and chew gum at the same time.... He's a nice fellow, but he spent too much time playing football without a helmet.

In football, time and space are the same thing.

I just wanted to get back to playing attacking football after my time in Italy. It was a little difficult at first but the atmosphere and the fans were just fantastic.