Pat Riley Quotes

Always protecting the players is not good.

We will always make sure player health and safety is our No. 1 priority in the NFL.

Being a stunt coordinator, I have to take care not only of myself but I have to make sure everyone is safe.

Player safety has been an essential focus for us for a number of years.

We don't want our players getting hurt.

I don't want football to not be played, but I would like the sophistication brought forth to take care of those who need to be taken care of and to take the precaution, at the sacrifice of winning, to take care of people.

Not a lot of teams take you into consideration, like a lot of teams can easily decide to if you're hurt or anything, make you go play.

My experience over my five years at Wisconsin and my one year in the NFL was that there were times where I couldn't play the game safely. There are positive measures we can take... but on a lead play, on a power play, there's violence.

I'm amazed people talk about my helmet - saying it makes me feel psychologically better. I would love to play without it, but I'm not allowed to by the doctor. As long as I'm told by the doctor I'm running too much risk to play without it, I'll play with it. There's no other way for me.

The only way you're gonna eliminate helmet-to-helmet contact is to take the helmets off. Go back to leather helmets. I mean, I think a defensive player would be much less inclined to lead with his head if he had no protection.

You've got to make sure the field condition is great for the players, because we're the guys out there running, putting our life on the line, playing hard.

I think anytime that you can eliminate the big hit, it's obviously not only going to be good for your team, but it's going to be good for yourself.

I knew I had a chance to teach the world something that would help more people be safe.

Health is probably the No. 1 thing that gets overlooked for a player.

We had a reward system and a protection system. We would reward players for big plays, things that can help your team win. And then also, we paid guys money for protection, especially guys who couldn't protect themselves and especially offensive players.

When you stand and talk about player safety, and then, at the same time, you want to extend the season two more games, there's a contradiction in there.

As a player you don't want to hurt someone and you don't want to see someone leave the ice with the doctors.

I'd hate to see the game I love go away because it is considered too dangerous and parents are scared to allow their kids to play.

No matter how badly you play, you want to come out healthy.

I'd like to think I'm always going to defend our players.

I'm a big supporter of safety.

Whenever you're falling or getting tackled, try to protect yourself. But that's part of the game; that's part of football.

I have a little easier time watching the NFL than college or high school. I used to go to the high school games, and now I have trouble with it. The NFL players get big rewards from it. I feel at least the NFL has made big changes to help their safety. And they're adults - they can make good decisions.

Heads Up Football is a comprehensive youth and high school football membership program developed by U.S.A. Football and supported by the NFL and other leaders in sport and medicine to advance player safety.

You want to play a whole game, but in the preseason you've got to be smart.