Roger Goodell

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 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've spent my life following my passion.

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.

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

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

Uncertainty's not good for anybody.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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'm very fortunate, and I know that.

I am awake a lot of nights.

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

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

Every game in the NFL is important.

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.

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

I take my responsibilities very seriously.

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

I talk to players all the time.