Veteran Players Quotes

When I went to the Dolphins, we retained most of their coaching staff, and of course, we had a few veteran players. So, I just tried to add a few pieces here and there.

I always appreciated the ex-players. Being a Yankee, you get spoiled. Old-Timers Day, all these guys coming back, spring training, being around them, you get a chance to get to know them. So I always think you learn a lot by listening.

You come into the NBA, dudes are trying to come after you. You're a rookie. They look at you as fresh meat.

Mike Matheny, Fernando Vina, Edgar Renteria, Mark McGwire and Darryl Kile... before he died. Those guys took me under their wing and taught me the way to play the game the right way.

In this league, experience means a lot.

Some great players, like Ted Williams and Stan Musial, had one more great hitting season left around the age of 40.

I played 18 seasons. That's a lot. There is some that played more. Brett Favre I think played a couple more. There is a few. There is a few guys that played more, but not many.

Some of the money going to the rookies can now be spent on people who have proved their worth. After all, the average playing life of a pro football player is about eight years and it is only fitting that the veterans get something for their efforts.

I'm a great believer that you cannot have enough senior pros around your dressing room.

We avoided injuries that season. It was our fourth year with Vince, so we all knew just what he wanted. And a lot of our core guys were in their prime. It was an incredible season.

To my mind, a mix of veterans and rookies is number one on the list of 'things that make a good Avengers team.'

I've been around young, talented, non-coachable players. I've been around veteran, talented, non-coachable players. No matter what you do, sooner or later - even if a coach comes in that's able to connect with them - if that's who they are, they're going to go back to it.

I don't understand the NBA in that, each time they bring in a one-and-done kid, they have to release a veteran player on a roster. I don't understand why their players association condones that.

It's kind of interesting on a team sport because you have young players, you have older players, you have veterans. But ultimately, when you step in between those lines, you're just a player.

I have always preferred to liken the championship to a marathon. You have to know how to start the race, how to take the strain when problems come along and to make sure you don't give any potentially dangerous rivals an advantage. My policy is to ideally have five or six men around the age of 26, a couple of youngsters, a couple round the 28 mark and one or two in their 30s. But the nucleus of the team should be experienced and not too old.

I had some good OGs, from Charles Woodson to Justin Tuck to Antonio Smith.

Karl Malone used a lot of veteran stuff that I thought was cool. Charles Barkley taught me a lot when I played against him. How he would use his body or use his dribble to get people in there and all that stuff. Veteran moves.

When I used to get the ball on the wing, I'd go fast and I'd go right. Veterans in this league, they watch film. They're definitely going to strategize. They know you like to go right. They know what your moves are.

This is something that I think has been going on for before I played football - just kind of guys sitting down with some of the younger guys to prepare them for what they'll be faced with.

You have to figure out that balance between younger players and veteran players, star players, and All-Star players, really a team effort. And then you have to be lucky.

I think most young players who take off from the start are usually put in a situation where they are surrounded by good, veteran players.

I think any time you bring those guys in, one with a lot of playoff experience, with rings - those guys won - guys in the locker room gravitate towards those guys. Those guys have been there, so there's a lot that they can teach the guys.

Milan has no reservations signing veteran players and has always taken into account the image and communication factors.