Sometimes, the hardest things are just the simple things. Basically, get out of your own head and just go play the game you know how to play.
Nick Foles
It doesn't matter if it's first-, second-, third-, fourth-, fifth-string snaps - any time you get a snap and get to go out there and practice, you build a database of information.
I think the big thing is don't be afraid to fail.
Nobody aspires to be a backup. And although I take great pride in the supporting roles I've played in both Philadelphia and Kansas City, part of me still cringes every time I hear myself described that way. Not only is it limiting and one-dimensional, it doesn't come close to describing who I really am.
When I was in Kansas City and having a tough time in my career, I decided to go to seminary to continue my spiritual growth.
I've been overlooked, praised, questioned, lauded, labeled, celebrated, and derided - sometimes all in the span of a single week. That's life in the NFL.
It took me years to separate Nick Foles the person from Nick Foles the football player.
I shouldn't have to come out and say, 'Hey, I should be a starter again.' There's a lot of guys that say that, that shouldn't be starters. The key is to go out on the field and lead your team to show people that, 'Hey, this guy is a good guy in the locker room. He can lead a team. He did it on the field. He's shown it.'
I can't do something unless my heart is in it.
I don't play for myself. I play for my teammates and play for the people that helped me get to where I am. I know they're watching me every week, and I want to play for them. It's just in my heart, and that's who I am.
Since that moment in Houston where I fractured my collarbone, I've experienced a lot more experiences in the NFL than I had up to that point. A lot of them great, some of them not so great.
I'm a laid-back Texas boy.
I know that throughout my career, I haven't always played great games.
That's something that's so often overlooked in this game - the dynamics of the locker room.
When you're playing in the NFL, you can only do this for a short amount of time. Guys retire before they're 30. If you play forever, you play into your 40s - and you're still a young man with a lot of life left to live.
I'm very fortunate to be playing, and I know that any given day could be the last. And I'll be thankful for the time I have had to play this game. But I'm going to give my all every single day.
Keeping our priorities straight, our faith, our family, and values will keep us grounded.
If you think you're going to be a backup, you're going to be a backup.
Everything you do in life is a process that you work at it, and you can't give up.
I only care about winning and putting points on the board.
Third-string quarterbacks, fourth-string quarterbacks - they get their opportunities, and they shine.
If you have to name me starting quarterback to go be a starting quarterback, then I probably have some issues I need to address.
From the moment you enter the league, everyone wants to slap a label on you - some tidy description of what they think you bring to the game. And more often than not, that tag sticks with you, regardless of whether it's accurate.
I guess my perfect day would be relaxing with my wife somewhere peaceful and secluded, or just lounging on the couch and watching TV.
Getting through the reads in an efficient manner. I don't want to stay on receivers too long to where a bad decision is made.
Everyone knows I'm sort of goofy. Some guys are really serious when they play. I'm not.
Getting all the things down game-management wise, that's what I want to excel at.
Now, to be a father, that changes everything.
You could ask yourself, 'Hey, when you were 20, are you the same person?' You're not. You may have the same values, you might look a little older, you might have some things that are the same, but your heart, everything about you, starts growing, changing - good or bad. It just depends on how you approach life.
I ran a high-tempo offense in college. You don't really get caught up in it.
I think, as a quarterback and a leader, it's not necessarily what you do in the limelight. Obviously, you want guys handling themselves in an appropriate manner for the organization and the team, but you need to be who you are. If you're a guy who does that and can be a leader, and naturally that's what you want to do, awesome.
I want to be a pastor in a high school.
I think, as people, we deal with struggles.
I can't play football forever.
I've always held myself to high standards.
I've wanted to be a starter ever since I was a little kid, so I wasn't going to give up on that dream.
I grew up in the restaurant business, and that's always something I wanted to do.
You keep adding things to your game. You never want to stay the same. You want to be consistent.
When you are having a rough day... you think you are failing. But failure is a part of life. It's about building character and growing.
I have amazing teammates, amazing coaches around me, and all I have to do is go play as hard as I could and play for one another, play for those guys and not look at the scoreboard, not look at the time.
You just want to put the ball in play, whether I want to throw it downfield and it's not there, so I check it down, and it's a productive play and let the running back get a first down. Just keep the chains moving.
There's always going to be a lot of distractions in the NFL - that's just how it is; it's on the biggest stage - but really focusing on what I have to do now to help my team win, help me be at my best physically when I'm out there on the field and mentally, because that will ultimately help my team no matter what role I'm playing.
I think with experience and age, you gain knowledge and wisdom.
If something is going on and you are struggling, embrace it. You are growing.
Throughout my career, I've always loved hitting deep shots over the top. A lot of times, those plays just come to you. You don't want to force it.
I want the ball in my hands, throwing the ball, making decisions.
I've always tried to live in the moment.
James Spader is a good actor.
Really focusing on what I have to do right now... no matter what role I'm playing - it alleviates everything around me and makes everything a lot more simple.
When you're dropping back and everything's going on, part of you wants to force it, but you have to make the right decision and not force the ball and sometimes throw it away.
