Top 130 Rookie Quotes

Words matter. These are the best Rookie Quotes from famous people such as Kevin Knox, Von Miller, Justin Verlander, C. J. McCollum, Donovan Mitchell, and they’re great for sharing with your friends.

Every rookie, every player, is going to go through thei

Every rookie, every player, is going to go through their struggles throughout the season.
Kevin Knox
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.
Von Miller
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.
Justin Verlander
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.
C. J. McCollum
I can say Rookie of the Year is what I want to do.
Donovan Mitchell
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.
Jimmy Butler
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.
Tavi Gevinson
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.
Joe Harris
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.
Conor McGregor
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.
Missy Peregrym
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.
Jimmer Fredette
You come into the NBA, dudes are trying to come after you. You’re a rookie. They look at you as fresh meat.
Kevin Knox
I was 22 my rookie year.
Troy Aikman
As an NFL rookie, I had to buy meals for older guys. I appreciate hierarchy. I understand teamwork.
Myron Rolle
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.
Danny Green
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.
Jayson Tatum
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.
Sue Wicks
I almost got traded my rookie year or my second year in the league.
Mike Conley Jr.
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.
Eric Weddle
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.
Cody Bellinger
If your rookie can affect a win or a loss early, then his ceiling is going to be crazy.
Channing Frye
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.
Gabriel Medina
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.
Chris Harris, Jr.
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.
Bobby Wagner
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.
Joe Harris
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.
Dennis Quaid
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.
Matt Sydal
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.
Tavi Gevinson
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.
Xander Schauffele
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.
Clint Dempsey
My rookie year, I was wearing more known brands: name brands, higher-end brands.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
I've heard this stuff about a kicker 'losing his leg' e

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.
George Blanda
Until you’re a rookie, you don’t know what NBA game shape is.
Kyle Kuzma
My rookie year in New England was mind-blowing.
Matt Cassel
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.
Dikembe Mutombo
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.
Brian Flores
My rookie year, it was a crazy atmosphere.
Nick Young
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.
Kevin Knox
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.
Retief Goosen
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.
Matt Leinart
I started rockin’ the BowTie when I was a rookie with the New York Giants.
Dhani Jones
Coming out as a rookie, no. 4 draft pick, you expected to see some playing time.
Mike Conley Jr.
I think any player, as a rookie coming into any sport, has to prove themselves.
Kylie Bunbury
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.
Gary Carter
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.
Quinn Cook
I collected baseball and football cards. My most valuable was probably a Mark McGwire rookie card.
Matt Cassel
As a rookie, they don’t really know your name.
Edwin Jackson
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.
Joe Harris
I used to lead off when I was a rookie. I’ve always been able to bunt.
Chili Davis
Personally, I want to win rookie of the year.
Kevin Knox
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.
Tom Thibodeau
As a rookie, I had changed positions. In college, I was a quarterback, and I had never played other positions.
Julian Edelman
When you’re a rookie, sometimes your voice is not really heard.
Connor McDavid
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.
Derek Jeter
If somebody was to ask me who is the best rookie, I would tell them I was.
Jayson Tatum
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.
Rory McIlroy