Brian McDermott Quotes

Competing at the highest level is not about winning. It's about preparation, courage, understanding and nurturing your people, and heart. Winning is the result.

A lot of the lessons that are taught in football will promote success in anything you get into after football; for me, it just happens to be music. Being disciplined. Good character. Trying to do the right thing, and working hard.

Success on any major scale requires you to accept responsibility... in the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have... is the ability to take on responsibility.

I liked the military life. They teach you self-sufficiency early on. I always say that I learned most of what I know about leadership in the Marine Corps. Certain basic principles stay with you - sometimes consciously, mostly unconsciously.

The Marines gave me a really strong sense of discipline and a work ethic that kicks in at my job.

I went to a military school between the ages of six and 12 and later into the air force. You learn discipline and strength of character.

When you get out of the Marine Corps, you feel like you can do anything.

I know I'm the No. 1 quarterback for the Washington Redskins, and that's all that matters in my heart. That's all I wanted. I wanted a team that wanted me, and I found that.

I've grown over the years and I know how to adapt to situations, where I can go into a situation where there's a crowd of people and just take over. But pretty much I'm off to myself. And I'm totally committed to the game of football. That's why I've had so much success.

You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through.

Football taught me how hard you had to work to achieve something.

It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things.

There's nothing like being a soldier for confidence or learning your limits or enduring utter humiliation.

The most important characteristic that has allowed me to succeed is confidence. I have always been comfortable in my own skin, and even when I was just starting out in my career, had the strength and self-assurance to ask tough questions and push for answers.

Regardless of who you are, what sport you chose, or how much success you achieved, playing the game is all about getting you ready for life.

My four years in the Marine Corps left me with an indelible understanding of the value of leadership skills.

One of my biggest influences of all time would probably be one of my soccer coaches, Coach Darlington, from high school. He was always trying to get me to push myself really hard. No excuses. I always hated him, but it paid off. I think that's what life is all about... when you push through the hard stuff and it pays off.

History was not written by men who predicted failure…

One of the things I learned at the Naval Academy and the Marine Corps is we have to make tough decisions.

I want to excel at something, to follow through, to not be afraid.

Even if you don't become a professional athlete, the experience of working with a team, knowing how to set goals, and working every day to figure out how to accomplish those goals definitely gives you confidence to apply those same characteristics to other life challenges.

Football helped me build confidence on and off the field and taught me to grow through moments of success and disappointment.

The biggest thing I take away from the Army is that work ethic and being able to focus and put your eyes on a goal.

As athletes, the biggest asset that we bring to the workplace is our work ethic, our confidence, our never-say-die attitude. We're about winning.

Yes, confidence was knowing I could do anything. But, I realized, confidence must always be rooted in work. In sweat. In pain-good pain. And in honesty.