Matt Cassel Quotes

I warm up at home. I hit the stage, I'm ready, whether it's rehearsal or anything.

It's tough when you don't know if you're going to play or when you're going to play. But keeping the consistency and keeping in shape is important.

When it comes to football, I always prepare like I'm going to be the guy.

On the pitch, I need to stay focused, alert, and be ready to face my heart-racing moment with confidence.

In football, it is a question sometimes of the mentality, understanding the players, the atmosphere, the confidence.

I just got to be ready to knock down shots.

If I'm thinking about a particular injury, then I'm already a step behind. If I'm so gun shy in the pocket and not worried about the receivers that are open down field, something's going to happen that's not going to get the job done. So my main focus is having confidence in myself knowing that I'm able to be myself when I'm out there.

I love to prepare if it's something that requires training. But I don't like to prepare the psychology too much.

On the days I'm pitching, it's almost a coin flip as to know if the guys behind me are going to be there to play 100%.

I guess there's this mind shift that happens once you're on stage. I don't know, chemicals, something happens and you just... I just become completely in control of where I am. And it's all about trusting the people that you're on the stage with, listening... and it just falls into place really easily.

The thing that makes the great players great, and that separates players from different players is, when you going out there whether being prepared or not, you have to react. And if you're thinking, you're already a step behind.

In competition, when I start performance I try not to think about all the pressure from the fans. But, I got a lot of energy from them always. They make me more perfect.

I like visualizing a lot, so the night before a competition and right before, I will visualize myself. I'll close my eyes, turn away from everybody, and just see myself doing exactly what I want to accomplish.

You have to be as fully prepared for the dull game as you are for the great game, or else you won't be prepared for the great one.

I still take it seriously, but once I go out there I think I've got more relaxed and I think it shows.

I have to be composed; I have to be poised. I have to remember what my first piano teacher told me: 'You do not touch that piano until you are ready and until they are ready to listen to you.

A lot of people say, 'Oh, playing backup quarterback, that's the best position in the world.' Well, what they don't understand is when we leave the building at 5 o'clock on Wednesday or Thursday when practice wraps up, we still need to go home and study and prepare just like you're the starter.

I would have prepared differently before big matches but I wouldn't change my life.

When I'm at my best, I'm ready to hit from pitch one. When I go up there and I'm passive, I'm not as successful.

For me, I'm more reserved and focused once I get to the game.

My mindset is the same every game.

I go into each game with the same mindset of showing people what I can do and letting the rest take care of itself.

I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well and score more, and it will be a matter of time. Once you get back into that rhythm, you will start getting balls that drop to you in positions where it wasn't before. I do have that feeling that it is going to come soon.

I prepare for every game the same.

I hate to go into games thinking about goals.