My rookie year was huge for me as far as the learning curve, especially those last three games.

You read glowing things and it doesn't feel deserved. You read things that are critical and it cuts you to the bone.

For some reason in today's society, people look up to football players and you have a voice. And it's because of that voice you have the opportunity to impact people's lives.

I'll practice as good as I can, but I know that I play even better, with the qualities I have - leadership, my ability to make something happen in games, winning.

My family kept its history to itself. On the plus side, I didn't have to hear nightmarish stories about the Holocaust, the pogroms, terrible illnesses, painful deaths. My elderly parents never even spoke about their ailments.

Our favorite teams bring people together, keep family members close, bond people from different generations. Some of the happiest moments of my life involve something that happened with one of my teams. Some of the best relationships I ever had were with Boston athletes that I never even met.

I'm a pretty uncomplicated person. I live a very simple life with my family and I enjoy very ordinary things.

I want to show that you can be a successful entertainment executive, be a good husband, be a good father, be a good friend, be down to earth, be a good person, and give back. If I can push that message out there into the world and pass it on to my son, then I'm OK.