I think leadership is more than just being able to cross the t's and dot the i's. It's about character and integrity and work ethic.
Steve Largent
It brings a smile to my face every time I look in the record book and see my name with the likes of Hutson and Lance Alworth and Raymond Berry, some of the fabled receivers of the NFL. It's all like a dream to me. I can't believe it's true.
It's still fun to come to games, and it's still fun to be in the Seattle crowd.
I might not be a great athlete, but I think I'm a real good football player.
A child can escape the shadows.
No culture that has ever embraced homosexuality has survived.
If I conduct myself publicly and privately in a way that is honorable, not just to the people of the district that I represent but to God, then I will feel like I have been successful.
People are very interested in having access to wireless data while they are on a plane.
I am pro-death penalty, but not an enthusiastic death-penalty person. I think there's a place for it, that it should serve as a deterrent.
The things that have taken place over my career have been unbelievable. I have a lot of great moments to cherish.
Where is the harm in the wireless industry?
It would have been a lot of fun as a receiver to play.
I never dreamed I'd be in Congress, or even in the NFL, for that matter. Well, I guess I dreamed about being in the NFL, but I didn't believe it would happen. I'm not the biggest guy. But I guess that's the story of my life.
Frequently I get asked if I'd rather have spent my career in a big city like New York or Los Angeles, where the exposure would be greater than in Seattle. My answer is no, not at all. Exposure is not important to me.
We're not necessarily the ski boat, we're the skier. There are countries like Japan and Korea and others who are the ski boat at this point, but we're getting pulled right behind them.
People are very protective of their cell phones, how it's used, where it's used and how much it costs. It has become a very personal issue for a whole lot of people in this country.
The tag that I was too small and too slow just made me work that much harder. Besides, quickness is more important than flat-out speed. How often does a receiver run 40 yards straight down the field? Not very often. Lateral speed is what counts. How quickly can you get in and out of a cut? I can do that as well as anyone.
This is going to become a battle for access to your home and office plus mobility. It's about who can provide the biggest and least expensive and fastest pipe to your home and office and offer you a mobility feature.
They say politics is a contact sport, and I have to agree with that.
I've always had this nightmare of going back to the Kingdome and seeing myself waddle in bald, overweight, with a big belly hanging over my belt, and I just imagine people going, 'That's Steve Largent?'
When you start thinking about taking pictures, sending an e-mail, receiving an e-mail, speaking into your phone and have it transcript voice into text and then sent as an e-mail, it's mind-boggling.
When a child grows up without a father, there is an empty place where someone must stand, providing an example of character and confidence.
We're not in the business of shaping consumer demand. We respond to it.
There's nothing like playing. You can coach and you can be around the game, but there is nothing like playing. It's just so much fun.
Sometimes Congress likes to milk an issue.
Life is very good. I'm the president and Chief Executive Officer of the Wireless trade association, the CTIA.
It's hard, or you wouldn't like it. A lot of coaches really don't like what they're doing.
If studies come out and show that playing football is detrimental to your health for the long term, even for the short term, I think that's up to the players then to make the decision about whether they're going to play or not play.
The more studies that come out that talk about concussions and so forth, it makes me wonder. I wonder, more importantly than the stroke, the impact that concussions have had on my life, particularly as I get older.
I always thought of myself is a private-sector person. I was a reluctant candidate. I put in my time. Now it's somebody else's turn to take charge. But I am still very interested in politics.
When you are playing, it is so hard to think about what life will be like after football. I understand. When you are playing, and you are young, you think you can play your whole life. You think it will never change. But it will change. You can't play forever. No one can.
Football players should always remember there's a whole lot more to life.
I can't tell you how important it is for people on the public stage to utilize that stage in a constructive, positive way. When you're in the public eye, you have a decision to make - whether you are going to be an influence or not.
Some receivers are like sports cars: they have a lot of speed and flair. Me, I'm like an old pickup truck. I just bounce around and try to get the job done.
People say, 'I'm for job training. We can train people to increase the likelihood that they can be self-sufficient.' Okay, that's great, you're for job training - I like job training - but do you think the federal government should have 163 different job-training programs?
I think when you've been exposed to the Creator of the universe, then the federal government doesn't seem very powerful.
I always felt the gifts you need as governor were more suited for my personality. I'm a good team player, but I'm not a policy wonk. In Congress, you need 218 votes to make anything happen. When you're governor, you're the CEO of the state. You establish the vision and standards for the state. You're the leader.
I don't think I was a year too late or a year too early in retiring. If the Seahawks had been in the playoffs a year later, I might have had some regrets.
I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop themselves. Sometimes I've wondered what I could have done with their talent. On the other hand, the tag that I was too small and slow made me work hard.
Any kid who grew up with an alcoholic parent will tell you how nauseating it feels never to know what it will be like when you come home.
I needed somebody to love me, and the people that I chose were my coaches. I would sacrifice my body to be successful for my coaches because I wanted them to love me, to respect me, to have positive feelings about me.
While I am a fervent believer in free markets and limited government, there are rare instances in which government involvement is necessary.
When I look back over my career, having an opportunity to compete against really good players like Lester Hayes are some of the highlights.
I'm not bragging, but just going Sunday to Sunday, it will be a real rare game when I don't catch a pass.
