I played on the Jets during Namath’s last four years, and we used to ask ourselves, ‘When is it going to happen? When are they finally going to replace him?’ We’d wait for it, week by week, but it never happened. – Burgess Owens
We don’t have to wonder or drift with society; the Lord has a very strong and clear pathway of what is right and where blessings come from. – Burgess Owens
There were questions I didn’t have the answers to, and I was trying to figure it out. I remember staying up until 4 A.M. reading the Bible and praying. – Burgess Owens
White Americans, stop apologizing; we live in the greatest country in the history of mankind, and it’s there because of our ancestors – those who came to this country and did their very best. And every generation has gotten better at what we’re good at. – Burgess Owens
It is not a fun process to run full-tilt toward guys who are running toward you full-tilt. – Burgess Owens
As its citizens humbly recommit to an acceptance of guidance from the God of our fathers, our nation will once again see the miraculous resurrection of the proud, responsible, visionary black father. And with him, his family and community will be lifted. – Burgess Owens
Unfortunately, I have been a little disappointed that we have issues out there like traditional marriage, abortion, school education, and we have so much silence from the black community, from black preachers, because they understand first hand the impact of all that. – Burgess Owens
If you apologize to me, I look at it as an insult because my parents, my grandparents, my great-grandparents, like every other culture out there, did exactly what they needed to do. They worked hard, and they became part of the American way, and they earned the respect of Americans across the board. We need to do the same. – Burgess Owens
There is nothing more rewarding than winning when you’re looked at as not being capable of doing so. – Burgess Owens
On our way to the Super Bowl XV Championship, the Oakland Raiders played a frigid 1981 AFC playoff game in Cleveland, in which the temperatures plunged to -35 degrees. I remember looking up in the stands to see a dedicated Cleveland Brown fan celebrating topless. – Burgess Owens
You learn after losing quite a bit, year after year, that you have to continue to work hard, stay tough, and endure to the end before it’s going to work out. – Burgess Owens
I believe that my worth is not measured by what I do, by the honors that are bestowed upon me, or by material wealth that I might obtain. Instead, I am measured by the courage I show while standing for my beliefs, by the dedication I exhibit to ensure my word is good, and the resolve I undertake to establish my actions and deeds as honorable. – Burgess Owens
It was the understanding of the power of perception that allowed the Martin Luther King, Jr. generations to stay true to the strategy of non-violence, refusing to retaliate when every emotional instinct would justify them doing so. – Burgess Owens
W. E. B Dubois used the NAACP platform for two decades to discredit the character, reputation, and fund-raising efforts of capitalist and Tuskegee University founder, Booker T. Washington. – Burgess Owens
As a former NFL player, I am one American who will have nothing to do with any NFL Team that cannot find the corporate courage to stand for the millions of courageous past great Americans whose sacrifice gave meaning to our flag and national anthem and to the millions upon millions who still dream to come to its free shores. – Burgess Owens
It is no accident that this country has been blessed with its abundance and its history as the freest and most productive in the world. – Burgess Owens
We’re dealing with whether we’re going to accept the idea of socialism and Marxism and atheism. Or go back to the American way, Judeo-Christian values, which meritocracy is part of it. The idea that content and character and talent are colorblind. – Burgess Owens
At the end of the day, there are risks; there’s no question – in any sport, any activity. – Burgess Owens
One of the things I did in my book, I start off with, is explaining how great our grace was: the things we were able to accomplish after the first one-hundred years from slavery. – Burgess Owens
We understood, growing up – ’cause it was taught in our family home, my mom and dad – to respect women, for instance. To respect yourself. That you respect your name. Those are the kind of things we were taught. – Burgess Owens
We need to step up because our past generations did their jobs; we now need to do ours. – Burgess Owens
I am thrilled and proud of Benjamin Watson for speaking up on behalf of innocent black lives, traditionally an unpopular stance in the mainstream media. – Burgess Owens
I learned the major difference between college and pro football. In the pros, you’re up against a top receiver almost every minute of time. In college, maybe one comes along every third game. – Burgess Owens
