Red zone, third down, I want to be the guy who gets the number called. I put a lot of pride into what I do as a receiver in those situations – using my body when we need to make a play.
If I’m out wide, and they put a linebacker on me, I think that’s a mismatch every time, regardless of who is on me.
I always want to improve in all my facets of the game, whether it’s the receiving or blocking aspects.
You have to have confidence in this league. Everybody’s so good.
I want to be out there every play.
It truly takes a village to become a professional athlete.
My seventh-grade year, I played football. I was, like, 15 pounds overweight, so I had to lose a ton of weight. They put me at left tackle; they put me on the defensive line. I absolutely hated football. I didn’t want to play again. Eighth grade year, I didn’t play.
I’ve never played this game for financial success.
I want to be the guy in the red-zone, believe me.
When you’re blocking someone, or when you’re running, it’s all about putting force into the ground, and that’s the epitome of the back squat.
I love football, but I also want to give back. I want to take care of kids and single moms, so it’s not only about playing football. I want my life to matter in that way.
Brent Celek is a heck of a blocker, James Casey is a heck of a blocker.
I don’t want to be viewed as a weakness in any means. I don’t want to be viewed as a weakness in the passing game. I definitely don’t want to be viewed as a weakness in the running game.
That’s something that I do pride myself on: making those tough and contested catches, whether it’s in the red-zone or on third down.
My wife Julie and I are driven to make positive and enduring change in our beloved city of Philadelphia, in California, in Haiti, and around the world.
My relationship with Jesus has changed my life and, really, the foundation of who my wife and I are as people.
Big hits are part of the game. So, paramount to every time I train is just to focus on staying healthy and doing everything I can to stay healthy.
The city of Philadelphia is all about the underdog.
If you look at the great tight ends in this league, the first thing that stands out is touchdowns. Just like at fantasy football. That’s where a lot of guys get the respect, with touchdowns… That’s the ‘fantasy points’ that everyone points out.
I can’t dwell on having a couple drops. It’s going to happen – it’s the NFL.
Glute bridges make sure my hips are staying in line. Making sure that I’m not putting added stress on the hamstrings, hip flexors, or groin. Being able to stabilize the hips is pretty much the center of playing football, so you can stay healthy.
Football is such a traditionalist sport. Whatever happened in the past is usually going to continue. But the bullying has no place in any sport. That’s the bottom line.
I just like going against the Redskins, I guess.
I think you have to have a high football IQ. Obviously, you have to have the physical ability to run fast and get open. But you also have to have a high football IQ.
I want to prove to myself and everybody else how good I can be, and I’m willing to work as hard as I need to to achieve that goal.
You got to know what the defense looks for and use that against them.
I love sports, and I’m a hugely competitive person.
I’m never going to be satisfied with where I am as a player.
You can’t be a tight end and just be viewed as a receiver.
I take every rep personally. If somebody beats me, I’m going to take that personally.
It’s not a goal of mine to only play 45 percent of snaps. It’s to be on the field for every single play.
I feel no matter who I’m going against that I can get open in a number of ways.
When I was younger, I initially hated football because they put me on the offensive line because I was the biggest kid.
Anything that’s truly competitive, I love.
As athletes, just looking at it from an outside perspective, it’s really remarkable, the impact you could have on somebody that you have no idea.
It’s awesome being married to Julie, being able to support the people we love doing what they love to do.
No one wants to be 13 and not able to eat their ice cream after dinner.
I don’t care about the money. Honestly. All I care about is winning football games.
I’m not going to be perfect on the field, I’m not going to be perfect in my postgame answers or any media session.
You do have to be patient. Control what you can control.
I’m a lot bigger than a lot of these DBs.
Being a tight end, you have to be able to do everything. You have to be able to run routes; you have to be able to block, pass-protect, and run with the ball after a catch. So, that’s how I attack my workouts – focusing on doing everything.
Early in my career, if I didn’t get the ball, or if something would happen, or the media would say something, I’d take it personally.
Can’t ever catch enough balls.
I want to be the guy on third down, whenever the coaches need a play, they call my number.
Nobody said, ‘You have to step up and be a leader for the family.’ I took it upon myself. I wanted to set the bar high for my brothers.
Don’t live and die with every play.
I think I had a good rookie year, but at the end of the day, I want to be one of the best tight ends ever to play, and I’m going to set my standard for that and work toward that goal.
I still remember going to school on game day with my high school jersey on.
In today’s society, a lot of males think you have to be strong all the time, and you’re not allowed to show weakness. That’s just so false.
Just trying not to have a weakness in any part of my game – that’s always been the approach in all aspects of my game: when the team needs me to run block, needs me to pass block, whether it comes naturally or not.
On third down, anytime our team needs a play, I want to be the guy that gets the ball.
What I’ve learned, being in this league, is you can’t take things personally.
My goal definitely isn’t to be top five. It’s to be the best in the league.
I’ve never played the game for money.
I always knew Jesus, but I didn’t have the relationship I do now.
Having success as a team is much more fun than having individual success. I have learned this lesson through the many wins I have experienced as a team.
Bringing in a guy like Jordan Howard is going to help us immensely: a guy that you can give the ball to behind five really good offensive linemen and say, ‘Go to work.’
My role isn’t just receiving.
I rarely drop the ball, and hopefully that trend continues.
You’ve got to perfect your craft.
My opinion is I can get open against anybody.
I went to Stanford.
I love the game of football.
I want to make Pro Bowls, do all the great things.
If anyone asks me a fantasy football question or for help, I don’t respond.
You can’t emulate a game until you’re in a game.
Obviously, I want to be on the field each and every play, but that’s not what I can control.
If there’s an opportunity to go out there and show what I can do, I’m going to do it.
I don’t play this game to be an average tight end.
Everybody says, ‘Oh, those East Coast people are so ruthless’ and what not. But I love them. I mean, they’re honest. What more can you ask from people?
I was very fortunate to have several mentors in my life that believed in my ability on the football field. It was their support that made me believe that I could do it, too.
Football should not be your source of identity. This one is important to me because I am much more than the player. My faith, my wife, my family, and the work I do off the field is paramount to feeling whole.
Oftentimes, the post safety will eye me up pre-snap a lot of times and know where I am.
I just focus on taking a deep breath, staying calm, and not trying to make the situation bigger than it is.
At the end of the day, all I really care about are the wins.
I went to play in the NFL.
I’m very confident in my abilities.
Stay focused, believe that you can achieve at the highest level, surround yourself with others who believe in you, and do not stray from your goal.
I think the ultimate compliment that someone can give you is that you’re a technician.
I had a stutter when I was a young. I went to speech therapy.
