Sam Hinkie Quotes

I sat in the green room at Radio City Music Hall for the 2006 NFL Draft. At my table, I was encircled by my parents, brother, agent, former coaches and close friends.

Draft day is a hectic day, especially for draftees and, more or less, for management.

I didn't know if I was going to be drafted, period. I remember sitting there and just praying that whatever God has for me to happen, and I didn't get any calls from anybody else the whole round. And then I got a call from New England five hours after the draft started.

The baseball draft is very different from the NBA or the NFL.

At the end of the day you never know what team still wants what player. You just never know with the draft.

The draft is a crapshoot, so I've been very fortunate to be drafted by the Yankees, and to have spent my whole career here.

Unfortunately, when we had a No. 1 draft pick, there wasn't an Andrew Luck out there. A lot of that's pure luck.

If I could start with anybody, I would initially draft Tom Brady. Then I would go get Ray Lewis, and then maybe an offensive lineman, or somebody like Adrian Peterson.

I don't think the NFL had the slightest intention of taking me, except as maybe a water boy.

I have no preferred team, but everyone wants to go No. 1 in the draft. Even the guy who gets picked last in the draft wants to go No. 1. But I just know that whoever picks me, I'm going to be excited to play for that team, and I can't wait to see myself in 'Madden' on that team.

I just don't think you pass on a great quarterback if you have the opportunity. If need be, you can trade it away.

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

During my draft process, I had Seattle come and work me out. This is one of the places where I thought I might be drafted. I'm glad it worked out I'm here.

I used to say my biggest accomplishment was just getting drafted, whether it was the first pick or the 100th or whatever.

The Draft is about the re-generation of hope and excitement for teams. Every pick your team makes could be the next Tom Brady. He could be the guy who turns around the fortune of the franchise.

The night I got drafted to the A's, obviously it was a great day of my life, but I've been a football player my whole life.

Do I consider the 2003 Draft class the best ever? Yes, absolutely!

As flashy as draft picks are, the reality of them helping out in Year One anyway is not necessarily the case. That's not the reality.

That's a special time, to get drafted.

I remember players talking to Willie Brown in my presence. Receivers asking, 'Is this who you drafted? I can't believe this is who you drafted.' I was hearing it from my defensive backs: 'Man, you got a long way to go.'

You get drafted, you perform like a Pro Bowler, then they pay you. But there's certain teams in this league, that's not what they're trying to do.

The quarterbacks who are picked in the first round and are declared - and I don't like the word - busts, it's not that the scouts were wrong about their ability or their potential. But commitment is such a huge part of it.

Like any year, any year with any team, you're always going to look to the draft to help strengthen your roster and free agency.

The main reason why I would even potentially go to the NFL Draft is for my family.

You can't draft for need. You draft for need, you get fired. Draft the best player, and if you've got two of them now you've got three of them. Just take the best players available for you.