I'm 6'3'' and 185 pounds on a good day, so I probably relate more to the casual fan who watches the game and is not super athletic, not this crazy monster of physical stature.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Really, what I try to instill in my fans is to be healthy and happy. I have no desire to be super-skinny.
I mean, I like to consider myself a reasonably athletic guy.
I'm not super-athletic.
Julius Peppers is probably 6'7 and 300 pounds. The great players spend all year round training for 16 games. It isn't fun being on the receiving end.
To me, when people say, 'Oh, you're a freak athlete,' it's bittersweet. It's a huge compliment to say, 'O.K., you have physical abilities that are kind of above and beyond.' But at the same time, I feel like it diminishes the mental side of the game.
I had only played five games in my senior year in high school. I was not large enough. Hell, when I graduated, I was about five foot four and weighed 120 pounds. I didn't go with the Dodgers until spring training of 1940 and I weighed all of 155 pounds soaking wet.
I sound the same regardless if I'm 20 pounds heavier or 20 pounds light, and I think that's the key thing with my fans and why they continue to be loyal because I'm that type of person.
You know, I'm just 6'9" and 260. And just so happen to be very good at playing the game of basketball.
It's great to be compared to a great player like Tracy McGrady, but I think I'm my own type of player. I'm 6'10'' and a bit bigger than he is as a player. I also think I'm a bit different and play a different position. He's more of a guard, and I can play all around through five.
Lets be honest: I'm an athlete, not an entertainer as much. So as an athlete, I am a guy who likes the physical confrontation of the football field. I like playing nose-guard; I like having two 350 pound guys trying to rip my head off.