RJ Barrett Quotes

My fears and anxieties throughout my whole life have been slowly squeezing my voice.

When I was in first grade, everyone made fun of my name, of course. I think it's kind of a big name to hold up when you're nine years old. It seemed goofy. I used to tell people I wanted to change the world and they used to think, 'This kid's really weird'.

I took a lot of bad things after Athens. I just learnt to deal with it. The problem was beforehand I had this feeling where I was trying to please everybody - I wanted everybody to like me.

You have to forget you are playing against your idol, because the guy on the other side also wants to play better than you and beat you. I don't think you should allow yourself to think like this when you go against any player.

Kids used to pick on me because I was quiet, I was an easy target. But I wasn't quiet because I was scared.

You have to be mentally strong to withstand the ridicule of other children and the stares of adults.

I wasn't some stud athlete at school that was destined to be a professional wrestler. I was just an insecure little guy that didn't want to go to school because I had zits on my upper lip.

I was an unusually big kid for my age and did not know how to express myself after being targeted as the odd one out. I thus landed myself in trouble for reacting aggressively. But with time, I succeeded as an athlete and people started respecting me.

I was that ginger kid who always wanted people to like him. It's hard, and you've got a big chip on your shoulder for a long time.

You have moments when you sulk, when you crib and cry and feel that, 'why me and why all these things are happening with me.' We are only human. It's about facing your fear and not giving up because you are the only person who will support yourself at the end of the day and if you dont do that than nobody else will.

I was very much a student of the sport. I wanted to know everything, all the moves. It was the coolest thing I had seen. I started winning matches. Dads didn't want their sons to face a girl. Coaches didn't want to put any of their wrestlers up against me to be beaten by a girl.

When I fought Benson Henderson for the first time, or Jamie Varner, it was always like, 'Oh man... I'm in here fighting these guys. Do I really belong here?' That's all changed now.

Coming from Canada, I've always had people doubt me or doubt my ability. We're just going to keep letting our game talk.

If someone would tease me about my hair, I would laugh... if someone called me black, I would laugh. I just took things in my stride. I was never made a victim.

You are always bigger than the problem, the problem can never be bigger than you.

At Sunderland, all the girls knew each other. I wasn't that extroverted person to go join in. I was a little bit in my shell. But as soon as I started kicking a football, it was fine.

I was the worst-dressed person in Scranton. I was a total nerd. Obviously, I got picked on, but I was also able to find my own cluster of friends, and I think when that happens, you get by just fine.

My advice to anyone being picked on for being different or for working towards a dream is to remember it's never personal. These people don't actually dislike you at heart. They're just going through difficult things in their own personal lives.

I was bullied a lot, being a kid, so I feel like I'm standing out because I realize who I really am.

I never thought for one second I'd be able to play with a real band. When I was in high school, I went through a lot of bad treatment and was called a lot of names by boys because I wanted to play. Sly was different.

Losing produces a weird reaction in me. I surrender all sense of perspective. It's ridiculous, really. All this over a football match.

I had a lot of challenges starting school, and my dad says I would come home every day crying and feeling bad about the problems I was having with some of the kids. And he would tell me to work hard on learning the language.

It's important to remember, most people have been bullied, and it makes you a stronger person in the long run.

The jokes about how I look have actually made me stronger.

If you want to come out of a sad moment, you have to work really hard.