I've had the acting bug since I was, like, five. But growing up, I saw how people treated me differently when they knew who my father was, even the stuff I did on the field. Sometimes I'd rush for 100 yards, and the headline would be, 'Denzel's son runs for 100 yards.' That's where the suppression of that bug came from.

The injury that ended my time in football turned out to be serendipitous. I tore my Achilles while training for a pending tryout with the New York Giants, and when it snapped, so did my career, basically. That's what led me to gain the confidence to get into the acting world on my own terms.

Coming from a football background, when everybody is doing their job and operating on such a high level, it only motivates you to do the same.

I was ignorant before I did my research of a lot of African American police officers out there who are doing their job and doing it the right way.

Every few weeks, I'd really be worn down. The doctor said just take time off, but it became apparent that the exercise you need to be a top-level athlete brought the symptoms on.

The arrival of Arsene Wenger in 1996 certainly heralded a change in English football. He was very successful very quickly, and suddenly, all the talk was about his revolutionary new training methods.

I only started concentrating on football as a career when I left school at 18. I played golf for the Scottish and British boys' teams.

If you are going to do things in your life and be responsible for your career, then be responsible for your career. You are responsible for your success.