Everyone's struggle is different. Just because I wasn't struggling on the streets, it doesn't mean I don't know what it's like to struggle.
D'Brickashaw Ferguson
You rewind. You think of your preparation. You think of everything you did throughout the week, your life, the practices, the intensity. Everything flashes, and you come right back to that point. And it's like, game on.
It's just a blessing from above. I can't stress that enough, because I don't feel like it's anything that I've done. For me to say, 'Well, it's because of this, this and that is why I've been able to play,' it's just a lie. I couldn't tell you why.
Being an offensive lineman, you always have the mindset of being an unsung hero - a lot of the people who look at the game follow the ball.
You don't have to worry about what happened last year; you can start fresh.
We have a culture in Freeport, especially in our football department. We feel that we're the best team on Long Island, in New York, hands down.
Just because you used one set on one guy and had success doesn't mean you can use that exact set, that exact timing, the next time.
As a college student, you're depending on your scholarship money, money your parents send you. So I guess when people start talking about big figures, it doesn't hit me.
I received a call from Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum and head coach Eric Mangini. They asked me if I was ready to become a New York Jet. I quickly answered 'yes' and began to hug everyone at the table.
Players have an in-season playing weight, and we have to be careful not to stray too far from it when we're not under the watchful eye of the nutritionist. This can be a problem when the food isn't being prepared and regulated by our cooking staff.
You should never say 'D'Brickashaw' and 'bust' in the same sentence. You should never even think that. It should be D'Brickashaw, Pro Bowl, D'Brickashaw, Jets, Super Bowl.
When the season ends, I like to take a little time off from the diet I follow when I'm playing.
At the Jets training facility in Florham Park, N.J., we have strength and conditioning staff but also a nutritionist, Glen Tobias, who helps to whip everyone into shape. There is a heavy emphasis on grass-fed meat and on foods that aren't genetically modified.
When a 300-pound person like me is playing, I'm supposed to drink at least a gallon of water a day.
I don't see myself as the perfect person at all.
I think, growing up, I was seen as the perfect power forward. For a long time, I thought maybe I was supposed to be a basketball player.
I just try to keep it simple, not let too many outside things influence me.
There's a number of years that went by going from a white belt to a black belt. And I think, in a similar respect, years go by with your maturation process, and it's just as important to be disciplined with that as it was in karate.
I've been cutting my hair ever since college. I try to do that whenever it gets rough. I'm not too cheap to go the barber shop, but I mostly try to do that by myself. I try to keep my skills sharp.
I wouldn't mind being like X-Men and having the claws. I mean, I don't think they'd let me play football, but it would look cool.
I sat in the green room at Radio City Music Hall for the 2006 NFL Draft. At my table, I was encircled by my parents, brother, agent, former coaches and close friends.
The actual game is only part of the Senior Bowl experience - the practices are equally important.
Prior to my arrival at the Crowne Plaza in Indianapolis, my agent and I decided that it would be best not to participate in any drills at the combine. We wanted to wait until my pro day at Virginia, where I could limit the distractions and just focus on being my best.
I feel like sleep is the most important thing. I notice in my body, when I don't get enough sleep on a consistent basis, how I am dreary, or my mood changes, or I'm not as focused.
Sometimes you have success and not so much success versus certain people.
Acting is a talent, but I like to see the whole picture.
You're always facing the top defenders in this league. To go out there and do your best, that's all you can ask for.
If I don't explain or tell some of my experiences, I feel like I'm doing guys a disservice because I know as a younger player, there's things I could benefit from the experience of an older guy.
We constantly had family conversations. A lot of conversations about life. We've always been a family to where we did everything together, whether it was karate or Bible study... I just really had a chance to look and learn.
There will be some things I do well and things I do wrong. But I keep coming. Playing with heart. That's going to help me continue to grow.
Obviously it's more fun having my teammates there and having all that camaraderie, but individual workouts are not a loss.
I've had to work by myself at combines before and forced myself to work out alone all the way back to high school. You have to be self-motivated.
Rex Ryan is definitely a very confident individual and, when you have someone who believes firmly in what he's speaking, you naturally absorb it.
You begin to take on the mentality of your coach. If he feels so confident, then I feel confident.
You have to have a plan. This isn't wishing. Instead of always being in a hopeful situation - like, 'I hope one day ...' - let's claim it now.
In football, you are going to have highs and lows, and you have to recognize when you have new opportunities and walk in those.
I try to work on all aspects of my game, whether it be run, pass. I think you can never stop growing, and I definitely take that mindset. You've just got to keep on grinding.
As an offensive lineman, having spatial awareness is key: understanding where the quarterback is going to be and understanding what the defensive end might do depending on the play we're running.
It takes a little bit more mentally to figure out what I need to do to be most effective. The game is ever evolving. So you have to constantly pay attention to the change because you don't want to be left behind.
Understanding the intentions of a play is so key because you can block a guy into the running back if you don't know how the play is supposed to work or where the back is going to come out.
Whenever there's negotiations, there's things that you absolutely love, and there's things that you accept.
