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They see themselves as athletes and only athletes.

I don't really take into account what the media says. People have their own opinions about what goes on, but they don't see what goes on behind the scenes with an athlete and their preparation.

The athlete of today is not an athlete alone. He's the center of a team - doctors, scientists, coaches, agents and so on.

The sports space is so full of opinion that you aren't hearing from the athletes just speaking for themselves. We are such a Twitter-oriented society with radio talk shows, TV talk shows and social media - what you are missing is the authentic, unfiltered aspect of who these people are.

I try to get them to remember that they're not just athletes, but student-athletes.

Amazingly, I think that a lot of times athletes are - are kind of in a position where other think they shouldn't weigh in on certain social topics.

A lot of athletes use sports psychologists.

But I like to think an athlete is an athlete.

I think, without question, the way someone plays sports shows something about inherently who they are, you know?

What is learned on the athletic field is not forgotten, nor are the lessons of character that are forged there ever lost. Consider the contributions in the field of public life, business, law, medicine, and the military of those who actively participated in athletics.