Backup Player Quotes

Coming off the bench behind a fine young center like Alonzo Mourning fits my style.

I'm a backup quarterback at the University of Dayton. I was a one-year starter in high school. I think I got the job in high school because our quarterback left and went to another school.

I can probably go down in history as the best backup point guard ever in NBA history.

I was a goalkeeper, but through my career, I spent almost as much time sitting on the bench as I did playing.

Almost always being among the reserves was the worst thing for me and for my confidence.

Guys get... benched, replaced. They get injured; another guy comes in and becomes the starter. That happens all the time.

If you draft a player to be a backup, why did you draft him? You're drafting a guy because you think he's worthy of being drafted at that spot, but you're also drafting him because you think he can compete. If you're going to say, 'This guy's a backup,' - really? That doesn't make any sense to me.

I don't want to be known as a super sub. But you have got to be ready to come off the bench and make an impact if you're not in the starting team.

Occasionally, a young catcher is born with a backup's soul. Bob Montgomery was on the Red Sox opening day roster for the entire 1970s, yet he never had more than 254 at-bats in a season.

Everybody in this league waits on an opportunity when you don't play the starter minutes, when you don't play the type of minutes you want. And with each given opportunity, you got to be ready to come out and perform.

Most of my career, I've always kind of been off the bench, so, for me, it's not about if I start or not.

In a normal season, the sixth man always seems to get the most minutes on my team.

Let's say I have a new respect for guys who come off the bench every day. That's not easy to do.

In 2005, our starting center, Dan Koppen, went down with a season-ending injury. Russ Hochstein was always our interior 'swing guy' - he played guard and center - and I remember Russ stepping in and playing beautifully.

All backups take their cue from Elrod Hendricks, the patron saint of erstwhile catchers.

As a kid, Terry Bradshaw didn't amaze me. My hero was Steelers backup Terry Hanratty, who nabbed two Super Bowl rings while completing three passes.

I was a third string guy for a couple of years.

Guys that are playing in the preseason are one play away from being a starter.

I can't name a backup point guard better than me in the NBA.

It's kind of funny the way it happened - the way I became a goalie. I was playing forward on this one team when I was little, and there was another team that needed a backup goalie. I mean, to me it just meant a chance to play more hockey, so I was all for it.