When I first got started I had no idea my career would last as long as it did.
My career, it's turned out to be something more than I ever thought and more than I ever dreamed. It's been an unbelievable ride. It's amazing.
I've pitched too many innings and pitched too many years - one game doesn't make or break my career.
I have seen too many people in my career think that there is some natural progression to life, with certain career milestones preceding whatever you may want in your personal life. Unfortunately, life doesn't know it is supposed to follow a schedule.
Every time I reach a major milestone in my career, I expect it to make more of a difference than it does, and I guess that means I'm in the sport for the right reasons. I'm not in it to win it because winning can only last for so long, and it's a very fickle thing, sport.
When I was older and I first started working, I was obsessed with buying my first Chanel jacket. I saved up my hard-earned money, went to Barneys, and bought a little black Chanel jacket. It saw many, many job interviews and many, many events. I'm not fitting into it lately, but I still have it.
My career has been an inch at a time.
Qurbani' happened at a time when all kinds of special films were happening to my career - 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram,' 'Shalimar,' 'Abdullah.'
I reflect on my 30 years at ESPN and continue to count my blessings each time I walk on the 'College Gameday' set.
Well, I'd never done an animated movie before, which is why I was so excited about doing it. It was one of the little boxes as an actor that I wanted to tick off. I wanted to do an animated film. So, after my mum got over the fact that I was never going to play Shrek's sister, this was the nearest I was going to get!
I remember when I made my first album, I was 32 or 33 years old and I thought I was way too old then.
I've been promoted, relegated, won big trophies, gone months without scoring, played for my country at World Cups, been bought, sold, loaned, and called 'a freak.'
I think, in comedy, you only hit about one or two great characters in your career. Sometimes my character will be just a sketch... what is the funniest situation to put this person in?
Since that moment in Houston where I fractured my collarbone, I've experienced a lot more experiences in the NFL than I had up to that point. A lot of them great, some of them not so great.
I guess, in a sense, 'Audition' was a film that gave me an opportunity that I hadn't had up until that point. So that's definitely one that is important to me. Then there's 'Visitor Q' that kind of taught me that there are some kinds of films that can only be made as low-budget films that really wouldn't work as anything else.
To play 18 years as a pro and have a great college career, it's awesome.
Kellan Gillis was the first celebrity that I worked with - that didn't hurt. Working out after that with Jennifer Lopez was huge in terms of just the platform it gives you. So I think when you get those opportunities, you have to be respectful of them, and you have to try not to just cash out.
To have my name said like, "Common and John Legend, Golden Globe nominees," is one of the greatest achievements I've ever had as an artist, as a person.
For the first time in 23 years I'm enjoying the process of supporting it, of going out and doing shows, and doing the interviews, and doing everything.
When I hit 11 so did the careers of Dylan and the Stones. A year later it was the Who and the Kinks.
From the beginning of my career, when I first started on the independent circuit, when I went to Global Wrestling Federation in Dallas and then to WCW, all the way through it seems like titles have been around my waist for some reason, and I always give credit to the fans.
You have to retire before you can make the Hall of Fame.
It's one thing to make the big leagues, but it's another thing to make it to an all-star game.
I hope to be around past the 90's. I don't want to just be categorized as one of this era. My goal is to have a career that stands.
When you've accomplished a certain amount in your career, you're not so focused on your ambitions.
