I think the thing about that was I was always willing to work; I was not the fastest or biggest player but I was determined to be the best football player I could be on the football field and I think I was able to accomplish that through hard work.
I think with my hands, it was catching a lot of footballs and working with my father during the summer because he would always make me. My father was a bricklayer so I was a helper. My job was to make sure that he had bricks to lay.
Like I said, repetition in practice and hard work are key.
They never clocked me on my way to the end zone. They never caught me because I ran scared.
I want to do a good job. I’m just learning and I just want to have fun with it.
The Enemy of the best is the good. If you’re always settling with what’s good, you’ll never be the best.
I do a lot of running, and I do it every day. I run on a track, I run hills and I work the stair-stepper extremely hard. I do some type of cardio every day. In addition, I have a passion for golf, and that helps me stay fit, too.
Monday Night Football. That was everything to me because you get a chance to show everybody what you’re capable of. It’s only two teams on that Monday night.
I think I just went into a system that was willing to utilize me and gave me opportunities and I felt fortunate to be able to go to Oakland and put the silver and black on. I wanted to prove to everybody that I could still play.
Not wanting to disappoint is what pushed me to be successful.
Lynn Swann was an idol. It would amaze me how he could fly through the air and make those catches. I’ll never forget the one versus Dallas. It was the greatest catch I’ve ever seen.
My agent said, ‘Jerry, Dancing With the Stars – they want you on there.’ I said, ‘Ain’t no way. I’m not going to do that.’ Then he came back to me again, and he kept putting pressure on me. I said, ‘All right, I’ll give it a try.’
I was just a small boy from Mississippi, and now little kids are going to identify with me through this game.
I played the game for 20 years, and I think that kept me on the football field, being adjusted. Getting hit so many times, being all out of whack, and going in to see my chiropractor kept me back on the football field.
I had to work hard and hit the books because the opportunity to play in the NFL is not really that big, so I knew I needed something to fall back on. That’s the message I want to send to those kids when I talk to them in person and let them know the most important thing is getting your education.
Once you get your education it’s going to open up so many doors for you. And the sky’s the limit. So that’s what I want to deliver to students.
Chiropractic was the key to keeping me in the game.
I’ve grown over the years and I know how to adapt to situations, where I can go into a situation where there’s a crowd of people and just take over. But pretty much I’m off to myself. And I’m totally committed to the game of football. That’s why I’ve had so much success.
If I should get selected into the Hall of Fame, I’d be able to say ‘thank you’ to all the legends that are in the Hall of Fame. And also say thank you to my teammates, and also to all the fans. It’s going to be like a dream come true.
I feel like I’m the best, but you’re not going to get me to say that.