"I Get Paid to Practice"

The late, great Junior Seau was one of the most energetic, enthusiastic and dynamic players in the history of the NFL and is a virtual lock to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. A significant key to his long-term success was his take-no-prisoner, give-no-quarter all-out attitude that he displayed play after play, year after year. Every snap, whether in practice or in a game, Seau went full speed with reckless abandon and a wanton disregard for fatigue, pain or slacking.

This attacking mindset is not always prevalent in the NFL during practices. Most players prefer to "save" their maximal effort for a game. Early in his career, a teammate pulled Seau aside at practice and asked why he practiced so hard. Seau said, "...I get paid to practice. I play the game for free." Seau said that any player could feel the adrenaline rush of a game atmosphere and play in a fired-up state, but that it took a particular and special player to practice at game speed and with game intensity.

Seau was that special player. And the player who asked the question, safety Rodney Harrison, went on to a long and acclaimed NFL career as the same type of player, one who practiced as hard as he played a game. Upon retirement, Harrison's coach said that Harrison practiced with more spirit and greater desire than any player he'd ever coached in his 30-plus year career. Harrison said that Seau changed his destiny as a player, and as a person, with that one piece of advice.

Treat every play the same. Never take a play off. And practice as if it's a game