Roger Goodell Quotations

My job is to protect the integrity of the NFL and to make sure the game is as safe as possible.

You do not have to be convicted or even charged of a crime to be able to demonstrate that you've violated a personal conduct policy, and reflect poorly not only on themselves, but all of their teammates, every NFL player in the league, and everyone associated with the NFL.

I don't expect to try to get people to like everything I do. I want them to respect what I do.

The one thing I would hope would go on my tombstone is, 'I made my parents proud.'

It's always unfortunate when something gets misreported and the facts are not clear.

No one is above the game or the rules that govern it. Respect for the game and the people who participate in it will not be compromised.

The way you continue to be a successful business is you don't wait for the car to go off the cliff. You have to manage yourself. And make sure you do it in the right way so you are not making decisions in crisis.

I learned in high school that I was going to have to outwork people. I remember running around the track, training for football, and a faster guy ran past me. I just figured, I can outlast him. If I work harder than him, I'll beat him. And to this day I overprepare.

Too much of our society looks for people to fail.

We will always make sure player health and safety is our No. 1 priority in the NFL.

To me, what I love about the draft is; first, you see the young men who are realizing their dreams that they've worked so hard for. That's a pretty cool thing. You saw the emotion from some of these guys the other day. And then, the second thing is this total sense of hope and optimism. And, I think that's great for everybody.

I don't get myself caught up in the rhetoric of any personal comments that are made.

I don't want players coming in from the college level that are either trying to avoid a suspension, declare themselves ineligible on their own, hire an agent and decide, 'I'm going to enter into the NFL.'

When you're thrust into litigation, you obviously have to make sure you're prepared to deal with that.

I think the state of the NFL has a very positive outlook.

The draft is one of my favorite events because it is about football. People are focused on how their teams improve. It's a celebration of football. And most importantly, it represents a very important time in the lives of these men who are entering the NFL, and their families.

I have to make a lot of decisions that aren't in the best interests of individuals, whether they be owners, club executives, players.

My goal was to prove to my family I wasn't a dummy.

It's an awesome responsibility, not only to maintain the level of success the NFL has, but to build on that.

It's not just the NFL. Every other league has a draft. It has been fundamental to the success of professional sports.

It is a privilege for me to serve the NFL. It is the only place I have ever wanted to work.

We're in a leadership position in sports. People look up to the National Football League.

It gives us an opportunity to go to a market where there is a great deal of interest in American football, ... and we think it will have a special interest and appeal to Hispanic fans in the United States.

We have such great interest. We have a great fan base in Mexico. It's been growing dramatically over the last several years, and we're responding to that interest. It's going to be a great opportunity to understand more about playing a game internationally.

When you're talking about a trade you're saying, 'Is it good for this team or that team, did they give up too much?' That kind of debate is great for the game.

Traditionally, I don't think we've put the focus on it (the Hispanic market). Our popularity is soaring there (Mexico). There is a great deal of interest in American football.

We want to hold or reserve judgment on that until we've been through this, but we know there's growing interest in playing regular-season games

There are lots of businesses that are well in excess of $9 billion that have gone into bankruptcy, that have been mismanaged. And that has not served anyone very well.

What is true of the NFL is that it has been well-managed over the years. And that has been beneficial to the fans, it's been beneficial to the game itself, it's been beneficial to the players, coaches and everyone involved.

We think it's doable, ... We think this is going to be a great opportunity for us to understand more about playing a game internationally.

The NFL clearly is making an investment in this because we believe it's the right thing to do,

You know that I'm always a proponent of doing things differently.

Every game in the NFL is important.

The NCAA has to establish their own rules and enforce their own rules.

Bob Beaudine challenges you to think differently. His unique approach to life and business has helped elevate many careers.

Ignorance is not a suitable defense

HGH testing is happening in Olympics. The science is there. It is a valid test.

Yes, NFL players deserve to be paid well. Unfortunately, economic realities are forcing everyone to make tough choices and the NFL is no different. These are not easy negotiations, but the outcome can be positive. If both sides give a little, everyone, including fans, will get a lot and the game will improve through innovation. Even in difficult economic times, a new CBA presents us with the opportunity to secure the future of our game.

This is an opportunity to create a better future for the NFL, to improve the game for our fans, and to expand the economic benefits for the players and teams. Staying with the status quo is not an option. The world has changed for everyone, including the NFL and our fans. We must get better in everything we do ... If both sides compromise and give a little, everyone will get a lot, especially the fans.

I hold head coaches accountable.

It is very common ... to tell graduates: dream and dream big. I say do more than that. When you dream you are in an unconscious state. It ends. You wake up. It's not real.

I talk to players all the time.

I've spent my life following my passion.

One of the strong principles that I believe in is that you're always learning, whether you're a commissioner, a current general manager, a president or an owner, or somebody that's trying to become a general manger or a coach in the NFL.

I'm very fortunate, and I know that.

The owners don't win by having a lockout. Shutting down your business is not good for anybody and it's certainly not good for the players, it's certainly not good for the fans. And that's most important to us.

I am awake a lot of nights.

I think when someone is injured in your family, you want to speak to the individual and you want to hear their voice and you want to make sure they are OK.

When there's a pattern of mistakes, something has got to change.

I take my responsibilities very seriously.

Change before you're forced to change.

You have to continue to learn. That's how you develop. So the people who show that curiosity, that ambition, that willingness to do what it takes to improve and to get better, they're the people who are going to be successful in the long term.

I spent a lot of time in the school psychologist's office. I didn't apply myself. My mother thought I had learning disabilities.

The highest standards of conduct must be met by everyone in the NFL because it is a privilege to represent the NFL, not a right.

The same mistakes can never be repeated.