Rookie Quotations

I agreed to film after my rookie year in Golden State. I was more used to cameras and felt that my journey to the NBA was a story worth sharing. Little did we know how much bigger the platform and documentary would become after Linsanity.

It is very important to me to maintain a consistent workout regimen during the season. The Bulls staff does a great job with providing me with a weekly workout, and these kept me energized throughout my rookie season. In the off season, I try to increase my strength and add new dimensions to my game.

It's an honor to win the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award.

When Obama heralds another 'teachable moment,' it means he has already made an egregious rookie mistake.

With TV, it's the same way as preparing for the game of football. To get better at football, you have to watch the film and watch those who came before you and played the game, and yes, the first year you come in as a rookie and you're not gonna be as good as when you come in as a vet, and I applied that in the same way to 'Ton of Cash.'

One of the rookie mistakes first-time entrepreneurs often make is to be too guarded about their idea - in fact, many will actually spend their first $25,000 on patent lawyers without ever fully vetting their product.

After I made it to the NBA, I said that I didn't want to be the last player from Africa. After my rookie year, I went to the league and talked about this, and they embraced my idea and started conducting basketball clinics in Africa, and that's when I knew I wouldn't be the last African.

I don't think of myself as a comedian, but as an artist, a scientist and chemist who just happens to be funny. I started doing stand-up to add another level to my game. I feel that I'm a young rookie with a veteran's skill.

I remember going from rookie ball to A, to double A, then to triple A. At every level it seemed like the game was faster. The bigger the situation, the more the game speeds up. That's all mental. It messes people up.

When you've got guys like Andruw (Jones), Chipper (Jones), Julio (Franco) and Marcus (Giles) in front of you, you have some RBI chances. A pitcher doesn't want to pitch to those guys. He'd rather pitch to a rookie any day.

We've always taken the position at this rookie camp that we'll give opportunities to guys who deserve them. Estrada continued to play well. He deserved to go.

Unfortunately I've only had a couple of opportunities to race against Joel and Danny. I do know they're both hard, clean racers and I really respect that. The fact that the NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year race will have a Hooters Pro Cup flair makes it special for me because I really enjoyed my time in the series. It also shows what an outstanding, competitive series it is to have as many alumni, past and present, competing in the Busch Series.

We feel bad for Andray but the positive thing is that he is healthy and that his career isn't over before it took off. It's sad that something like this happened to him during his rookie season, but he will be all right. We will continue to pray for him, hope for a speedy recovery and hold down the fort until he gets back.

We feel bad for Andray, ... But the positive thing is that he is healthy and that his career isn't over before it took off. It's sad that something like this happened to him during his rookie season, but he will be all right. We will continue to pray for him, hope for a speedy recovery and hold down the fort until he gets back.

We feel that the history of (Benson's) position as a rookie bodes well (for learning fast), and that was partly why we did what we did on draft day, too.

When I was a rookie with the Browns in '57, I missed a block against the Rams in the Los Angeles Coliseum,

Would we like to win? Absolutely. If we can finish in the top 25, I think everybody would feel real good about that. I hope it's not as difficult as my rookie season was. I was 0-11 as a starter.

We're still in this season, and it's been my approach since I was a rookie to take it one game at a time. I'm feeling good right now, though.

What we're asking him to do is difficult, ... A rookie middle linebacker calling the signals, there's nothing easy about that. His plate is full. But if anyone can handle it, of the young people I've seen in the last few years, he can.

Yesterday's race was a really big learning curve for me. I made a lot of rookie mistakes. Going home last night, I thought about a lot of things that I could change, and instead of looking, watching and learning today, I was actually racing. It was great.

Yes, our long snapper is a rookie and I've been playing for 15 years and you never know when it is going to come or if it is going to ever happen. The ball has to bounce your way a lot of times, so I tell him to relish it and enjoy it because it really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The only player left was Matt Birk, ... He was a rookie in '98. Now he's hurt.

Man, I remember there was a fight involving about 30 players my rookie year, and I was scared to death I was going to be fined $7,500. My paycheck wouldn't have covered it. I got off with a warning, though.

Let's go. I mean, it's the same situation I was in my rookie year. I probably get lost in the shuffle just because I do so much third-down stuff. But people forget I am a running back. I can the run the ball.

Last year, you're a rookie and everything you do is a better-than-everybody-expected kind of deal. Now going into the season, there's a lot expected of you. I think that's a little different and the pressure is going to be a little different.

She's usually more trouble when she's ahead of me. She should be fine. She took out two of our cars. A little rookie mistake had a big consequence. But I've got no problem racing with her.

She's dominating. She has so much talent that you forget that she's young and sometimes she's going to make rookie mistakes. But she's very powerful.

Sid has been in our organization for a long time. He's been at the A level and the rookie league and you want someone at that level who is a good teacher, who has patience -- the same things you want in a manager and the other coaches. You're looking for that particular individual that can relate, that is a worker and is willing to spend hours and hours with players, getting them to do it right.

She proved that she can step up and perform at the college level. She played almost 40 minutes a game, that's like playing an extra seven games this year. Also in college, there is much more banging and hounding you, especially after you're named the Rookie of the Week and leading the team in scoring.

Megan slipped right under the times. As a rookie swimmer, that is a great accomplishment.

Me being the rookie that I am, I had the dark visor on out there. It was starting to get a little dark out there.

My first plane trip, I sat next to him. And I got yelled at because I was a rookie and you weren't supposed to sit next to a veteran. But he made me feel like it was all right. He was one of the greatest guys, greatest teammates, I've ever been associated with.

Of course, MIT was notable not just for its faculty but also for its students. And, facing such extremely bright kids as a rookie teacher was something like being thrown to the wolves.

My heart was pounding like I was a rookie or something,

Maybe the Yankees fans should be mad at (Bagwell). I didn't do anything. I was just a dumb rookie when he said, 'I don't like that song. We're changing it.' ... He came and told them, and so that's what they played.

Now that they have cancelled the last three races, I guess that is where we are ending up, ... Second in the points is good and I'm really happy to be Rookie of the Year. I would have liked to have seen what we could have done with more races. I don't think that the series ever got going the way that people would have liked.

Naturally, there are injuries but we also may need a player at one of our other Class A (long season) teams in Palm Beach or the Quad Cities. We also may want to bring up a kid from the rookie league in Johnson City. That's why it's so much fun for the fans because they can see a lot of good, young players.

Right now, I'm as excited as a rookie going to my first camp. This is something I wished for a while ago, and now it's here.

Personally, I think he's the real deal. I've skated with him and have seen what he can do. But it's hard where everywhere he goes there's a press conference. It would be good for people to let him be a kid in the league and be a rookie and let him adjust as he goes.

Noah has such incredible length and such incredible athletic ability, he doesn't risk much by coming back. I can't imagine he would be hurt by coming back to school. He's going to get better as a player at Florida under Billy Donovan than he will as a rookie in the NBA.

I was real proud of my rookie tonight. She hit some shots when we need them.

I was really throwing my fastball on both sides of the plate and throwing my change-up a lot more. That is something I did in my rookie year a lot and something I kind of got away from the next couple of years. That is the big pitch for me, especially in Denver.

I was telling the guys that I felt like a rookie all over again, ... It's just a whole new atmosphere. It seemed like in New England everything had become normal, because we're just expected to win. And this is a whole new challenge -- getting this team off on the right note -- and just to be a part of that is exciting.

I would say he's one of the more underrated outside linebackers in a long time. He's extremely quick, and he has great instincts. He's really mature and he has great strength at the point of attack. I can remember him as a rookie out of Colorado State and how impressive he was then. I just really think he's one of the underrated players in this league.

If we can just get the defense behind her we haven't had defense all year. We had eight (errors) yesterday at Monterey. It's making the pitchers get extra outs and throw to extra batters. We're making rookie mistakes, and the people making them aren't rookies.

I didn't really think that a rookie could be as far along as he is,

I didn't want the season over so soon. Next year I will come back ready, I'm not a rookie anymore. I learned a lot starting out 1-15 and digging out of that hole. It was a tough year though.

I don't get too caught up in setting records. My entire approach this season has been about learning, gaining experience and getting better. If I tie or set rookie records great, but I am much more concerned about ending this season on a high note. The best note I can think of would be to win one of these final three races.

I don't know of a player who has had bigger (improvement) from rookie to second to third year. He's much more than I ever expected.

I don't know why she is not tossed up there in that group more. There were a lot of questions how she would adjust coming out of Liberty (University), and she has been great. I'm not saying she should be rookie of the year, but she should be a part of the discussion.

I am going to be a rookie myself when I first step out there on Sept. 10. You can't simulate what a game situation is going to be like, you can't simulate the nervous feeling, everything is just different on Saturdays.

Casey's the prototype nose tackle in the 3-4. He's got great balance, he's very powerful and he can move. He's down to the same weight he was when he was a rookie and that's good for him. This guy has recognition, not just for sacks. When people watch him play, they recognize how important he is to our defense, and what he allows us to do.

I had a stellar rookie year. This year has to be better.

I have kind of mixed emotions about (my rookie year). On one hand, I've kept my card for next year, which is basically a huge relief and a huge accomplishment. It's not an easy thing to do for a rookie,

(If) I put McCarthy there, I have six guys with no experience in the playoffs in the bullpen and now a rookie to close the game. El Duque knows about the playoffs.

If I play well and win a lot of games, everybody will compare me and Ben. If I play poorly, I'll be a rookie quarterback playing poorly and there won't be any comparisons.

If both sides are realistic, then that rookie deal gets done, ... We know how important it is to get a rookie to camp in time. We know you can't make up 35 practices overnight.

I feel like Wandy's thrown the ball really well the whole year, ... I know he's had a few rough starts, but you can't expect a rookie to come up and give the innings he's given us.

I don't think you could find a rookie that has more football awareness. Mentally, he is not a rookie.

I expect a huge leap. They both had such good years last year, and you know from experience how much easier your second year is from your rookie year. We expect big improvements.

From then on, each week he kept growing and growing, probably getting more confidence in himself. He's a year more mature. He's been through about everything. He's been in a pressure situation already as a rookie in a championship game. So I think he'll continue to grow and continue to improve and become one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

From the rookie camps to the individual clubs' own educational and welfare policies, there is a particular focus on educating players about the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption.

Fortunately, for a lot of us, we had a lot of these guys that I played with my rookie year. I missed three years, (but) at that time you thought nothing of it. We got playing and we were winning and you thought it was never going to end. But it did end. It was just a fine time.

If it was a rookie or some guy who had never started sitting behind Boller, I think there would be some concerns. But knowing what Wright can do -- he's been in this spot before -- that doesn't concern me too much. When he stepped in on Sunday, he kind of picked up where he left off.

He's had a tremendous camp. His pace is unbelievable and his recovery is tremendous. There's no doubt in my eyes that you're going to see a Rookie of the Year come the end of the season. There's no one running by him and he just needs to get better in his positioning. Mark my words, he's going to be Rookie of the Year come the end of the season.

He was a manager on the field. When he played, the manager's job was cut in half. He never had to discipline any player because Frank took care of that, whether you were a rookie or a veteran. If he thought you weren't giving your all, he'd let you know.

He has made huge strides in a tremendous rookie season. He has taken advantage of our personnel changes and is a big piece of our nucleus going forward.

He came out his rookie year and dusted everybody off bang, bang. He's obviously immensely talented, and he's playing like he knows how again.

We expect to get blitzed each week. Even though I've said that Kyle has grown quite a bit, he's still a rookie quarterback. Everyone we've played has blitzed us quite a bit, starting with the Redskins (in the season opener). That's just a part of what we're going to deal with. We expect it each week and go from there.

When his arm speed comes back, his slider is going to be close to what it used to be, and we saw that (Monday). If he comes in (today) and feels good, we are probably looking at a three-inning game in the rookie league in Arizona on Thursday. After that, we'd like to get him up to four or five innings and think about where we've got to go with him.

We are extremely pleased that Matt has decided to begin his professional career. We had tried to sign him last summer, but he was committed to returning to North Dakota and helping lead his team to the Frozen Four. He obviously had another great season at UND and he continued to mature and develop as a player. We believe he has a very bright future with our organization and we look forward to getting him to our summer conditioning camp, Traverse City Rookie Tournament and main camp in Tampa.

We are extremely excited to announce that Milan Hejduk has decided to commit to this franchise for the next five seasons. Since his rookie season in 1998-99, he has been an instrumental part of the success of this franchise.

He's a competitor defensively and we can definitely use the help there. We really liked him as a rookie and didn't want to lose him. We're glad to have him back.

He's a good hitter, and he's having a tremendous September. He could arguably be the Rookie of the Year, and he should be here for a long time. He's starting to fit in; he's very talented -- and clutch.

He's a rookie who was having a great year for us on special teams,

He's a rookie in this camp, but you can't tell the difference. To me, that shows a lot. He's fitting right in and looks like he should be here.

He's a rookie and makes a rookie mistake ... so we were a bit concerned. But we have to force ourselves to give him more time.

He's been thrown into the fire. It was the lowest of the lows. In my rookie year, he was getting booed off the field. Of anybody, I'm proudest of Matt.

He's going to go home when the season ends and in a couple weeks it's suddenly going to dawn on him what he has accomplished. I told him before the season started that if he had 35, 40 goals, for a rookie that would be great. Look at him now, it's amazing.

He's going to be an All-Star quickly. He's my rookie of the year.

He's by far, I think, the best rookie this season. And he's going to be a great player for a long time.

I almost felt like a rookie again, but that's OK. I'll take it.

I also need to get some deodorant. Which rookie wants to run out and get me some?

He could be the Rookie of the Year. He should be here a long time.

He didn't look like a rookie at all. He's very patient and able to make plays.

He didn't get enough credit. Winning 14 games as a rookie is not bad.

He comes in here early, he works out, he goes about his business the right way. He goes about his business the rookie way be quiet and don't talk unless you're talked to.

He lives by what he believes, in everything he does. The fact that he's in a high-profile, major conference athletic director job doesn't change that; he still holds true came values when rookie high school football coach. He knows the difference between right and wrong, he cherishes relationships and he tries to live by what he thinks is right.

Just the time we?ve grown from my rookie year until now, it?s so different. Coach gives us the flexibility to say, ?Hey, if you like this, you like that, do that. As long as you have the confidence to do it.? I?m glad he has the confidence in me that I?m going to get open and make plays, because that?s what I?m going to do for him, and that?s what I?m going to do for my team.

John has been a productive member of our pitching staff since his 2002 rookie season. We are thrilled to reach this multi-year agreement with him.

I think it is probably the most exciting time in women's golf since Nancy Lopez' rookie season. But the thing about 1978 was it was just Nancy. She had charisma and excitement and terrific performances. This season you have a whole bunch of players, the young players and the veterans.

I think it's great with all the opportunities that those players have now. By the time those kids here come here, they are ready for Rookie league or Class A league or whatever, because we can keep them (at the academies) for a couple years until we think they are ready to come here, and that makes a big difference.

It is almost like you are a rookie again. There is a lot more situational play in the National League. In the AL, if the starters are strong, you could get four or five days off. Here, with pinch-hitting, you get to pitch a lot. I have always liked to work frequently.

I think the main challenge will be running 800 miles every weekend, but I'm looking forward to it. I think I needed to run both, just being a (Busch series) rookie last year. There'll be times when I wish I hadn't done it, but I needed to do it so I'll live with the decision.

I think you'll have to make the Chase to win it. Look at Carl Edwards. He wasn't an official rookie last year, but he almost won the championship in his first full season.

I think we're better up front than we were last year, ... There's more depth at receiver. I think the backs will be better than last year. Tight ends are doing well. Then you have essentially a rookie quarterback. The fortunate thing for him is a lot of rookie quarterbacks who play are with teams that don't have that kind of talent surrounding them. So we think we can have a very good offense. It's just going to be a matter of hopefully starting off fast.

I think that being in New York and having that rookie year, he's been through a lot in a short time, and he's learned ways to handle it.

It has always had a nice kind of grip, which makes it easier for rookie drivers to come in and get comfortable, but the setup is still hard to find. I think when you win somewhere you always carry that confidence into that track no matter what happens.

I think they were reading a rookie quarterback's eyes, and a few times I gave myself away. I've got to learn when to force some things, and when to throw things away. I talked to Peyton (afterward), and he says it's going to get better.

It is infinitesimally small progress each day so it adds up so slowly it's hard to notice. But if you look back, even from (the end of his rookie season) to now, the improvement is so great.