In this case, I realize that, unlike when I was 22 years old, I realize now that football will not go on forever, it is a small part of your life.

Sometimes you get caught up in what's going on around you. The reality is that you are just a regular person. At some point, the career will be over, the bright lights turn off. That can come back to haunt you if you're not just a regular guy.

With each game I play, each season I play, everyone would agree with me, I'm running out of chances.

Well I would say that we're regular people first of all and we're normal and it's obvious by some of the things that have happened just because our name is famous we're not immune to tragedy.

I'm not perfect.

I'm thankful for all the things that this job has given me and my family. But probably the thing that I am most proud of throughout my career is that, not only myself, but my family and the people around me have just been regular people, which we are.

I can't believe I survived, not only my life, but I am still playing football 'cause half of those eight or nine years I don't even remember.

It's been six years since I have had a drink and I have two girls, and my priorities are a lot different now and I just can't believe I was that guy. And I would not go back, I would not trade the way I am now for anything.

I know it's not a one man team win or lose.

That's kind of how I approach life and football; why dwell on something that's hasn't happened.

I'm pretty boring really.

So much of a professional athlete's success depends upon not necessarily the play itself but how he deals with... always saying how you deal with good, is just as important as how you deal with bad.

Life deals you a lot lessons, some people learn from it, some people don't.

Because after my first year I had a lot of success, took everybody by storm, came back the next year thought it was easy and didn't have near the season I had the previous year. It was kind of a wake-up call. And so, life goes on.

Well even before she was diagnosed with the cancer, I would have said that she was a lot tougher than me and most guys would probably say that about their wives and it's probably true in most cases.

God, he deals you blows that at sometimes you think you can't handle and in the last year there have been things that we thought we couldn't handle but we've dealt with it up until this point.

As you get older, you look at things differently.

It's not so much about killing an animal, it's being at peace and you don't have to worry about all the other things that go on. That's a couple of hours a week that you get to escape but it's nice to do that.

The party now is having my kids laugh and my wife laugh and my teammates. I want them to see me have fun and put it in a different way.

I don't really care what's going on I just care about getting my job done the best that I can possibly do and deal with the other things in my life that take a lot of time and a lot of thought.

If I can change than anyone can change. I promise you that.

Obviously talent gets you to a certain point, but it's what you do with it, how you handle.

But when you lose a family member or something tragic happens, that stays with you forever. You never get over it. Knowing that you have to deal with that for the rest of your life... Football is important, but not as important as you once thought it was.

My wife, she still gives me a hard time, and says I hunt too much or I like to play golf too much. And she's probably right, but it sure beats some of the things I used to do.

And having a strong family, you know we've lost some members of our family and had some setbacks, but I think a good family and kids all those things I thought at one time... you got to be kidding me... Those things are so important they enable you to go on.

I consider myself more of a loner now and I think when you get older, especially in this game, and just talking with other players who have come and gone, I see what they were saying when I was a young guy in the locker room.

Just, you never know what the next day is going to bring. That goes for football, goes for off the field, and I gave up a long time ago trying to predict the future and trying to deal with things I couldn't deal with.

Initially, I know that I handled it worse than she did and I think partly because I've always been... every bit of adversity I've faced up until the last year and a half is adversity I brought upon myself - or the opposing teams have given me.

Well family is obviously the most important. There was a time when I thought football was the most important.

It's fun leading this offense. I don't think we've hit our peak.

The town, the team, it's a family. That has helped. For some people who have had to deal with some of the problems I have had to deal with don't have football as an out.

I really believe this team has a lot of potential - whether it's this year or in years to come, I don't know.

In this case, I realize that, unlike when I was 22 years old, I realize now that football will not go on forever, it is a small part of your life.

I don't worry anymore about where's the big hangout Tuesday night, Friday. Couldn't tell you and no one comes to me for advice anymore in those areas anymore, so real boring I would say.

It's a difficult job to do, but that is why we do it. Only so many people can do it. But it, it enables you to... for a brief period of time to kind of get away. You have to go back and deal with, but it's a good escape.

You're never guaranteed about next year. People ask what you think of next season, you have to seize the opportunities when they're in front of you.

I, most talented players don't always succeed. Some don't even make the team. It's more what's inside.

I consider adversity being good sometimes you know.

As a coach, they would love to sit there and say, 'It's going to be five steps, you're going to hitch up into a perfect pocket, you're going to look at number one - no; you're going to go to number two - no.' It doesn't work that way.

Even in past years, when I wasn't in the Super Bowl, I wished I was.

Every day is not perfect.

Every game I've ever played, regardless if it was pre-season or Super Bowl, meant the same to me, and I laid it all on the line.

I accomplished so many things, so early in my career.

I consider adversity being good sometimes, you know.

I don't need to have a retirement, retire your jersey, all that stuff to solidify my career.

I grew up a Saints fan, an hour from the Superdome.

I knew I needed surgery and I didn't want to have it and I ended up having it.

I know I'm not doing myself any favors by continuing to play.

I like my teammates.