After I wrote 'The Best Of Times' for my dad and after I completed the '12 Steps Suite' with Dream Theater, I very much felt like I had said everything I wanted to say lyrically.

I really do care what people think, and I revolved my whole career and all the twenty five years with Dream Theater... I ran that band and made decisions based on caring what the fans thought and wanted.

One of the reasons I needed to leave Dream Theater was because I didn't want to end my career as just the drummer in one band.

I don't even like doing drum solos live; to me, it's like, 'Ehhh.' It doesn't really interest me.

I wanted to be in the situation where I could have a chance to go to the NFL and be a great quarterback and take care of my family.

I'm surrounded by friends and family who are not that impressed by celebrity. They don't have any problem telling me I'm acting like an idiot or I'm not that funny.

My parents were very volatile but very loving. My father would get jealous if my mother looked at somebody. I used to be insanely jealous. It comes out of insecurity. It can come and go, but you get to the point in life where you don't have this raging jealousy and protectiveness about your world.

My mother is a proud Brazilian. I love visiting my family in Rio; the city and its people are so vibrant and amazing.