Top 130 Rookie Quotes

Every rookie, every player, is going to go through their struggles throughout the season.

Out of high school, I was, like, 202-205 pounds. My rookie season, I was, like, 245; my second year, I was 255. My third year, I got up to like 272, and I tore my ACL. I don’t know if my weight was part of the cause of that, but I got hurt, so I just tried to re-evaluate my situation.

Growing up, I played ‘Ken Griffey, Jr. Baseball’ and just whatever I could get my hands on. When I was really young, I was a big fan of Mario and that type of stuff. I still play videogames now, so it was really cool for me to be able to play as myself on ‘2K6’ or ‘2K7,’ I believe it was, when I was a rookie.

I don’t care how much you traveled in college, and I don’t care what kind of shape you’re in. Travel is the one thing you’re absolutely not prepared for as a rookie.

I can say Rookie of the Year is what I want to do.

I’m country at heart. I love doing normal stuff, like back in my rookie year when nobody knew who I was, and I could grab dinner and have normal conversations.

I created ‘Rookie’ because I read a lot of websites that I thought were cool and interesting, but they weren’t for teens, and I wanted us to have something that could be ours.

I was fortunate in college to play as a freshman, but in the NBA, not a lot of rookies are coming in and making a significant impact right off the bat.

I don’t look at a man who’s expert in one area as a specialist. I look at him as a rookie in ten other areas.

I get recognized for ‘Reaper’ in the U.K. I was in Costa Rica and got recognized for ‘Heroes.’ In Canada, it’s ‘Rookie Blue.’ People also think that I’m in the ‘Twilight’ series because of Kristen Stewart.

It’s hard to speculate, but it was tough when coach Paul Westphal drafted me and wanted me there and then got fired two weeks into my rookie year.

You come into the NBA, dudes are trying to come after you. You’re a rookie. They look at you as fresh meat.

I was 22 my rookie year.

As an NFL rookie, I had to buy meals for older guys. I appreciate hierarchy. I understand teamwork.

In Cleveland, I was a young rookie. I was trying to be like the veterans when I wasn’t a veteran. That was definitely the wrong way to go about things.

I didn’t expect this – to be 19, be a rookie, playing this much and having a kid. It’s a lot, but, I mean, I’m enjoying it.

Rookies are also coming in from college programs as big stars, whereas when we came in, we were just happy to be there. We were happy to be playing in a big gym, to be on television, to be playing in America.

I almost got traded my rookie year or my second year in the league.

It honestly feels like high school or college all over again. You’re comfortable; you see the game. You’ve seen a lot of ups and downs, a lot of good plays and bad plays. They’re all in the back of your head. It’s all just experience over the years. There are guys that play well as rookies, but it’s hard.

I still think that rookie season was the most shocking to everyone, at least in my hometown here. I mean, it was insane. They couldn’t believe I was doing this.

If your rookie can affect a win or a loss early, then his ceiling is going to be crazy.

Sometimes you surf well and still don’t win. It happens to everyone. You learn that one big score doesn’t mean much if you don’t have a backup. I guess every rookie learns that as time goes by. I took some big lessons from my losses.

Coming in as an undrafted rookie, I wanted to make sure I competed every day against those talented receivers. Brandon Lloyd, he was a great guy to go against because I did a lot of scout team. Going against him every day along with all those other receivers really helped me polish my game.

I think my rookie year I was just out there, I just wanted to be out there and have fun. Maybe my sophomore year I was thinking a little too much because I wanted to be perfect, but I think everybody goes through that stretch.

Coming into my rookie year, I could kind of eat whatever I wanted – you’re really not too concerned about it. But you don’t realize that a pound here and there is really not a good thing. It’s just basic physics: it’s harder to move faster and jump higher when you weigh more.

I was a guy back in the Eighties who was one movie away from a huge career, which at that time didn’t happen. In the Nineties, I worked a lot, but it was kind of, ‘Get out there and dig and find things.’ Then I guess ‘The Rookie’ and ‘Far From Heaven’ were referred to as my comeback.

At WSX the message was loud and clear consistently, even as a rookie signing a contract and kind of talking about things and getting into the nitty-gritty details. I felt like I was always given a lot of respect and in fact sometimes I thought they were almost tooting my own horn too loud I thought it was almost silly.

I feel like, maybe in the ’90s, ‘Rookie’ would have been shamed for trying to reach a lot of people or trying to be ‘mainstream’, but I’m so pleased that our readers are happy to see me promoting the ‘Rookie’ yearbook on TV or whatever.

I think getting your head in the right mental space is important, and maybe I do need to go back to my rookie vibes to where I’m very happy-go-lucky, nothing really matters.

It’s a compliment that people think that I’m a good player. I remember when people didn’t think I was good. And I remember being a rookie coming into the league with a big chip on my shoulder trying to prove myself.

My rookie year, I was wearing more known brands: name brands, higher-end brands.

I’ve heard this stuff about a kicker ‘losing his leg’ ever since I was a rookie, and I can tell you that there is nothing to it. Every time a field goal kicker misses a few, the word gets around that he’s lost his leg, meaning his kicking strength.

Until you’re a rookie, you don’t know what NBA game shape is.

My rookie year in New England was mind-blowing.

After I made it to the NBA, I said that I didn’t want to be the last player from Africa. After my rookie year, I went to the league and talked about this, and they embraced my idea and started conducting basketball clinics in Africa, and that’s when I knew I wouldn’t be the last African.

Look, that rookie year you got a lot going on. You got to get a house, you got to get a car, you have to move to a whole new city. I mean, there are so many things that are going on.

My rookie year, it was a crazy atmosphere.

I see a lot of people judging me and my rookie season, but I’m not really worried about struggling. I know I’m only going to get better.

I turned pro and won Rookie of the Year on the South African Tour and then it took me two tries at the qualifying school on the European Tour and to get my card and the rest is history.

You kind of look at the timeline of what has happened to me and with having a pretty good rookie year and the second year getting the injury and Kurt Warner played himself into the Hall of Fame in the last 3 years. There’s not a lot I can do about that. I battled with a Hall of Famer two training camps in a row.

I started rockin’ the BowTie when I was a rookie with the New York Giants.

Coming out as a rookie, no. 4 draft pick, you expected to see some playing time.

I think any player, as a rookie coming into any sport, has to prove themselves.

It’s kind of a tradition that you get a rookie, put him in the middle, wrap your arms and legs around him, then douse him with everything you can get a hold of – shaving cream, ketchup, mustard, everything. It’s kind of like a pie in the face after a guy is successful.

I was fortunate to be in a great situation in Canton, be the leader of the team my rookie year. I got to show a lot of people that I was an NBA player on a nightly basis.

I collected baseball and football cards. My most valuable was probably a Mark McGwire rookie card.

As a rookie, they don’t really know your name.

Kyrie is a good guy. Spent a lot of time with him over the years because we were the same class in high school and ACC when he was at Duke. Then I was with him my rookie year in Cleveland.

I used to lead off when I was a rookie. I’ve always been able to bunt.

Personally, I want to win rookie of the year.

I think when you look at Jimmy Butler when he came in, he hardly played as a rookie. He played more each year and then would become a top-10 player in the league. It’s a testament to his work ethic and how he approached things.

As a rookie, I had changed positions. In college, I was a quarterback, and I had never played other positions.

When you’re a rookie, sometimes your voice is not really heard.

I remember going from rookie ball to A, to double A, then to triple A. At every level it seemed like the game was faster. The bigger the situation, the more the game speeds up. That’s all mental. It messes people up.

If somebody was to ask me who is the best rookie, I would tell them I was.

Two years ago, of course, I was just a rookie and listened to everybody. In a way I am still a rookie. I’m only 23 and I’ll be surrounded by great players who have played in a lot more Ryder Cups than myself. But the rankings say I am the best player at the moment and so that brings a responsibility.

Every rookie that thought they was good, I went at them to make sure they knew I was the best point guard in the league, and they had to go through me. That’s just the way I was.

My rookie year was so much easier, and it was so much shorter than most rookies due to the fact that I had KG. That changes everything. I was blessed to have the opportunity to play with KG – not only learn but play with KG. Not many people in the NBA are able to say that.

I’d like ‘Rookie’ to be a helpful resource, but I never want it to be too prescriptive. Hopefully, it also makes the reader feel encouraged to think for herself.

It was always in the back of my mind while we were working on the first year of ‘Rookie’ that we’d do a print version at some point.

You know, I came in as a rookie and didn’t get to play much at all, really. Became a sponge. I had to go through the rough, get cut a couple times, take the G-league route, which was the D-league back then.

I have every goal you could possibly dream of – Rookie of the Year, NBA champion, MVP.

Winning the Super Bowl would be way more special than the rookie rushing record.

I think because I am a proven rookie that it is going to help me in the long run.

My rookie year, Byron Scott didn’t really want to sign me. In New Jersey, the New Jersey Nets. I got there, and Byron Scott didn’t really like me, but they let me come to camp and I was having a great camp. Stephon Marbury embraced me.

People should judge me for what I’ve done in 25 years. I’m not a rookie in F1.

Anytime I play another rookie, there’s that extra edge.

I kind of think the rookie wall is all in your mind, to be completely honest.

A lot of people have compared being an NBA rookie to being a fraternity pledge. It’s not really intense like that. It’s more like being an intern.

My uncle, my dad always made sure I had guard skills. But as far as defending everybody, that wasn’t really my mindset until my rookie year.

It’s unfortunate to lose guys in their rookie year.

As a rookie you sort of don’t really know if you’re good enough, and then you start listening to a bunch of random things or just out looking for a bunch of random things that don’t help.

My rookie year, I bought a new Range Rover, and, knowing what I know about traffic stops in this country, I made damn sure that the tint on the windows was legal. Somehow, though… I just kept getting pulled over for my tint.

One goal I want to accomplish is I want to be known as the hardest-working guy on the team my rookie year.

It would have been harder for me to get rookie of the year in Cleveland than it would’ve been in Minnesota.

Every day, I kind of have in my brain a few slots of what I want to do. Like school, sleep, homework, ‘Rookie,’ hanging out with friends, mindless relaxation time, and then trying to do my own creative things.

I would go after any rookie. Any rookie with a lot of hype. I used to do it to Jason Kidd. I would go at him. I’d be like, ‘Young fella, you’re going to get a rude awakening in the NBA.’

I’m not big on rookie hazing. I didn’t wanna be hazed as a rookie, so I definitely didn’t want to do it to others.

When I got traded to the Lakers in ’97, Kobe Bryant was just a rookie.

A rookie coach must be supported by a very strong structure and not get burned.

And my rookie contract, my first rookie contract was for $5,000.

Going around the league, people know, ‘Oh, he got in some trouble’ or ‘He didn’t play well his rookie year’ or ‘He’s a bust.’ That’s the headline. I’m going to have a million more opportunities to create new headlines, and I can’t wait. Can’t wait.

Starting should be a goal for every rookie.

You know that’s pretty much your role as the rookie: Defend and rebound. Those are the two main things.

As a rookie, I need to play a lot. I need to know what courses I like and adjust to the atmosphere and the lifestyle of playing at the highest level.

I was invited to play with the New York Knicks. I was never drafted, but I was invited to the rookie camp.

Rookie year you get out there and want to make as many plays as possible, then second year you want to be perfect, and then you kind of find a combination between the two – making a lot of plays and trying to be as perfect as possible.

I think it speaks a lot to Coach Kidd and my teammates to trust me as a rookie to make plays down the stretch. When they put that confidence in you, it’s hard not to try to make plays.

I think any player at any position their rookie year, they’re trying to figure out how to process all the information we give them, how to process what the defense is doing and then actually physically play the game and the position that they’re playing.

Ultimately I want to win. That’s my main focus as my rookie year.

As great a public speaker as I am, I don’t know have – I don’t – I don’t have the words to describe Cub fans who welcomed me as a rookie, were patient through my 1-for-32 start, and took me into their homes and into their hearts and treated me like a member of their family. You picked me up when I was down.

I think, as a rookie, what guys need to be judged on most coming in the league is feel. Not skill, not shooting, not stats, not even passing, but that feel for the game, the ability to read situations and make the right play.

I did some good things as a rookie.

Of course, MIT was notable not just for its faculty but also for its students. And, facing such extremely bright kids as a rookie teacher was something like being thrown to the wolves.

That’s the first goal I have, to be Rookie of the Year.

When I was a rookie, it was pretty much my first time outside of the city that I grew up in.

Not all rookie lessons are learned on the hardwood. There are factors like rookie duties and building team camaraderie.

‘Rookie’ is not your guide to Being a Teen. It is, quite simply, a bunch of writing and art we like and believe in.

Carson Wentz, he came in and had a heck of a year as a rookie. I don’t think a lot of people saw that coming.

I was fresh out of drama school and had no idea what I was doing. They hustled me along and Bill Cosby tolerated my rookie behavior. It was great. Once you have ‘The Cosby Show’ on your resume, you can keep going.

For me, I was always just a down-to-earth guy. From Day 1 my rookie year, I’ve been the same. As an offensive lineman, we just want to be under-the-radar, humble guys, just like to do our work and not be noticed.

I backpacked all around the world and kind of found myself. Then I settled back in L.A. and found ‘Rookie Blue.’

I’m definitely a jaded traveler, but you try to make the best of what you know about the experience. Like, I know how to pack a bag. I know that checking a bag is for rookies.

Harmon Killebrew was a gem. I can never thank him enough for all I learned from him. He was a consummate professional who treated everyone from the brashest of rookies to the groundskeepers to the ushers in the stadium with the utmost of respect.

Losing is hard on all of us regardless of rookie or veteran.

I remember my rookie hazing. It wasn’t fun.

The pleasing thing is being able to be in an environment where, even though I’m a rookie, everyone wants to help you out.

I’m not capable of being in a group where I’m not the leader. I did it once earlier in my career with Legacy, and that was cool because I was young and green and a rookie in the industry, but now no more.

To be honest, I never compare myself with the rookies.

I try to stay the same, but I also think that change is inevitable. What I mean is, if you stay the same as in your rookie days, you can’t deal with all the new responsibilities you are faced with. Of course, my most important values should stay the same.

Garbage time is that time at the end of the game when the points don’t really matter, and nothing you do can really affect the overall outcome, but the rookies usually get a chance to play on the big stage.

My rookie year, we used to play all the time, literally play ‘Call of Duty’ all the time, because it was like all of the younger guys on the team would get into the communication with the headsets and talking trash.

It’s an honor to be named Rookie of the Year by the media.

I’m a rookie, but I’m not here to act like a rookie.

As a kid, I watched ‘Bugs Bunny’ cartoons, and for some reason Pepe Le Pew, the indomitable French skunk pursuing his would-be kitty paramour, left his mark on me: became an instant emblem of odoriferous hubris, hedonistic bad behavior. He was an entry-level Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a rookie Marquis de Sade.

I would say the greatest challenge, for me, had been my rookie year and learning my spot. It is an emotional battle, as you have good days and bad days. Being young and thrown into this big business is challenging.

Some rookies build bad habits and it’s not until year three, four, five that they get to be part of a winning-type organization and culture.

Most rookies coming in, they’re a little short on the 3-point line because it’s a little further back. But once you adjust to it, you’ll be fine.

You won’t ever see me being totally sexy on ‘Rookie Blue.’ It’s not right for the character, anyway.

It’s hard to win with rookie quarterbacks, as I know.

I was lucky in my rookie year to play in the NBA Finals, to have that experience, to see what it was like to get to that stage.

When I signed with the Oilers, I felt like a rookie. I was 33.

A lot of rookies don’t come into the league and have that type of leeway that Coach Walton and his staff really gave me.

For the majority of my rookie year, I had to lug around a fake baby doll in a pink stroller whenever I was entering and leaving Staples Center.

There are two big adjustments you have to make as a rookie. I think the biggest adjustment you have is to know your playbook, and playing fast once you learn it. And then, every cornerback in the league, they’re all good. In college, you might have some who are good and some who aren’t.

I want to be on the All-Defensive team, be rookie of the year, make the All-Star team, all that type of stuff.

I’ve been wearing Zegna for a while. It started a long, long time ago, my rookie year.

There are a lot of things that you learn as a rookie and you grow the most, I would say as a rookie from your first year to your second year.

I’ve been told a million things in this league. I was Rookie of the Year, and then got traded… So it’s hard for me to sit back and believe everything I hear.

Some of the money going to the rookies can now be spent on people who have proved their worth. After all, the average playing life of a pro football player is about eight years and it is only fitting that the veterans get something for their efforts.