Steve Largent Quotations

No culture that has ever embraced homosexuality has survived.

I might not be a great athlete, but I think I'm a real good football player.

The things that have taken place over my career have been unbelievable. I have a lot of great moments to cherish.

I needed somebody to love me, and the people that I chose were my coaches. I would sacrifice my body to be successful for my coaches because I wanted them to love me, to respect me, to have positive feelings about me.

Frequently I get asked if I'd rather have spent my career in a big city like New York or Los Angeles, where the exposure would be greater than in Seattle. My answer is no, not at all. Exposure is not important to me.

I think leadership is more than just being able to cross the t's and dot the i's. It's about character and integrity and work ethic.

Where is the harm in the wireless industry?

When a child grows up without a father, there is an empty place where someone must stand, providing an example of character and confidence.

Any kid who grew up with an alcoholic parent will tell you how nauseating it feels never to know what it will be like when you come home.

People are very protective of their cell phones, how it's used, where it's used and how much it costs. It has become a very personal issue for a whole lot of people in this country.

People say, 'I'm for job training. We can train people to increase the likelihood that they can be self-sufficient.' Okay, that's great, you're for job training - I like job training - but do you think the federal government should have 163 different job-training programs?

There's nothing like playing. You can coach and you can be around the game, but there is nothing like playing. It's just so much fun.

I am pro-death penalty, but not an enthusiastic death-penalty person. I think there's a place for it, that it should serve as a deterrent.

We're not in the business of shaping consumer demand. We respond to it.

I'm not bragging, but just going Sunday to Sunday, it will be a real rare game when I don't catch a pass.

People are very interested in having access to wireless data while they are on a plane.

I can't tell you how important it is for people on the public stage to utilize that stage in a constructive, positive way. When you're in the public eye, you have a decision to make - whether you are going to be an influence or not.

When I look back over my career, having an opportunity to compete against really good players like Lester Hayes are some of the highlights.

Football players should always remember there's a whole lot more to life.

It's still fun to come to games, and it's still fun to be in the Seattle crowd.

Life is very good. I'm the president and Chief Executive Officer of the Wireless trade association, the CTIA.

I think when you've been exposed to the Creator of the universe, then the federal government doesn't seem very powerful.

It would have been a lot of fun as a receiver to play.

Most of this material is illegal. It violates the community standards that have been established for a long time by the Supreme Court, ... The porn industry itself has referred to the Department of Justice's handling of pornography for the last several years as 'benevolent neglect.' And I would agree with that.

Maintaining a successful, consumer-friendly recycling program continues to be a top priority of the wireless industry. So please recognize Earth Day 2006 by taking your used wireless products out of the sock drawer and bringing them to the wireless carrier store near you to be recycled.

I don't think I was a year too late or a year too early in retiring. If the Seahawks had been in the playoffs a year later, I might have had some regrets.

to ensure that 90 cents of every federal education dollar goes directly to the classroom ... not the bureaucrats.

I always thought of myself is a private-sector person. I was a reluctant candidate. I put in my time. Now it's somebody else's turn to take charge. But I am still very interested in politics.

I always felt the gifts you need as governor were more suited for my personality. I'm a good team player, but I'm not a policy wonk. In Congress, you need 218 votes to make anything happen. When you're governor, you're the CEO of the state. You establish the vision and standards for the state. You're the leader.

If studies come out and show that playing football is detrimental to your health for the long term, even for the short term, I think that's up to the players then to make the decision about whether they're going to play or not play.

Playing for Chuck Knox was one of the greatest experiences of my life,

Our hearts and prayers go out to all those who have been affected or have loved ones who were harmed by this terrible storm, ... We understand how important it is for displaced residents and emergency personnel to have access to telecommunications services.

Parents must ultimately decide what materials are most suitable for their children, and wireless carriers participating in this important measure are committed to providing parents with the necessary tools to do so.

I think he would have broken some big plays in the second half. It says a little about the depth of the team, and the character of the team.

It brings a smile to my face every time I look in the record book and see my name with the likes of Hutson and Lance Alworth and Raymond Berry, some of the fabled receivers of the NFL. It's all like a dream to me. I can't believe it's true.

Wireless consumers across the nation have demonstrated a strong willingness to become part of important public policy debates that affect their wireless freedom, ... Facing an average tax burden of roughly 17%, wireless consumers are speaking up and being heard.

That will happen sooner rather than later, too. He's the total package, and I wouldn't have said that three or four years ago. He's gained experience since then.

We must never become complacent in what is still a dangerous world,

This study is strong evidence that lightly regulated, competitive markets are the most efficient and cost effective way to deliver consumers the innovative products they want and need, and in doing so, the industry is able to create enormous economic benefits in the form of job creation and tax revenue,

When you start thinking about taking pictures, sending an e-mail, receiving an e-mail, speaking into your phone and have it transcript voice into text and then sent as an e-mail, it's mind-boggling.

The threat environment is constantly changing, and static rules can quickly become outmoded or easily avoided by the fraudster.

The threat environment is constantly changing and static rules can quickly become outmoded or easily avoided by the fraudster.

The tag that I was too small and too slow just made me work that much harder. Besides, quickness is more important than flat-out speed. How often does a receiver run 40 yards straight down the field? Not very often. Lateral speed is what counts. How quickly can you get in and out of a cut? I can do that as well as anyone.

When you are playing, it is so hard to think about what life will be like after football. I understand. When you are playing, and you are young, you think you can play your whole life. You think it will never change. But it will change. You can't play forever. No one can.

When you look at countries in other parts of the world with penetration rates exceeding 100%, it's only logical to predict that subscriber growth in the U.S. is far from over.

I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop themselves. Sometimes I've wondered what I could have done with their talent. On the other hand, the tag that I was too small and slow made me work hard.

While I am a fervent believer in free markets and limited government, there are rare instances in which government involvement is necessary.

Spectrum is the life blood of wireless, and by putting it to its highest and best use we are creating enormous economic opportunity because we are allowing the American consumer to access the most innovative and modern wireless services.

Some receivers are like sports cars: they have a lot of speed and flair. Me, I'm like an old pickup truck. I just bounce around and try to get the job done.

As an industry, we have never seen an event like this.

They say politics is a contact sport, and I have to agree with that.

We are seeing tremendous growth in data revenue. Music, game playing, text messaging and content downloads are beginning to show impressive financial results,

I've always had this nightmare of going back to the Kingdome and seeing myself waddle in bald, overweight, with a big belly hanging over my belt, and I just imagine people going, 'That's Steve Largent?'

This is precisely the type of event that people like Mr. Arafat ought to be invited to,

I've got a ton of stories about Chuck Knox, ... Over the course of my playing career, there was nobody that I learned to respect and appreciate more than I did Chuck Knox.

I never dreamed I'd be in Congress, or even in the NFL, for that matter. Well, I guess I dreamed about being in the NFL, but I didn't believe it would happen. I'm not the biggest guy. But I guess that's the story of my life.

If people ... don't believe that, but still, for the most part, are Republican otherwise, they can be with us. But we're not going to change the course that this party was founded on,

Not only are you helping the environment when you recycle a wireless device, charger or accessory, but you can also help numerous charitable causes. These programs can put the value of retired wireless products to work for a good cause, and help you with your spring cleaning.

Chuck had a million sayings and he didn't spare any on us. He was very much a motivator, but he was also a good thinker,

I didn't know he was playing. It was really neat to meet him.

Clearly the last two years are nothing to be proud of.

It's amazing, when I look back on my career, how often he was dead-on in his prediction of what we needed to do to be successful,

I totally reject the big-tent mentality that's within the Republican Party today, because if big tent means you have no principles, no core values, no convictions that are absolutely rock solid, then it's the wrong movement,

The more studies that come out that talk about concussions and so forth, it makes me wonder. I wonder, more importantly than the stroke, the impact that concussions have had on my life, particularly as I get older.

If I conduct myself publicly and privately in a way that is honorable, not just to the people of the district that I represent but to God, then I will feel like I have been successful.

Here's a memonic device that I feel teaches how we can properly cope with failure. Forget about your failures; don't dwell on past mistakes Anticipate failure; realize that we all make mistakes. Intensity in everything you do; never be a failure for lack of effort. Learn from your mistakes; don't repeat previous errors. Understand why you failed; diagnose your mistakes so as to not repeat them. Respond, don't react to errors; responding corrects mistakes while reacting magnifies them. Elevate your self-concept. It's OK to fail, everyone does; now how are you going to deal with the failure

I don't have the fire in the belly right now. It's one of those been there, done that deals.

Gun control is not the answer to stop crimes committed with firearms,

I think leadership is more than being able to cross the t's and dot the i's. It's about character and integrity and work ethic.

A child can escape the shadows.

Sometimes Congress likes to milk an issue.

When you start thinking about taking pictures, sending an e-mail, receiving an e-mail, speaking into your phone and have it transcript voice into text and then sent as an e-mail, it's mind-boggling.

Ive got a ton of stories about Chuck Knox, ... Over the course of my playing career, there was nobody that I learned to respect and appreciate more than I did Chuck Knox.

What you see happening right now with some of the consolidation is all about more spectrum and capital formation that give you the scale, scope and resources to invest in that 3G world.

Steve Jobs was a visionary in the technology and telecom community. His contributions to innovating communications have forever changed our industry and our lives. He will be greatly missed.

Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to every individual who was affected by these powerful storms, ... Despite facing serious obstacles, the wireless industrys response to these natural disasters was nothing short of Herculean. We remain fully committed to aiding and assisting our subscribers in the affected regions in whatever way we can.

We're not necessarily the ski boat, we're the skier. There are countries like Japan and Korea and others who are the ski boat at this point, but we're getting pulled right behind them.

This is going to become a battle for access to your home and office plus mobility. It's about who can provide the biggest and least expensive and fastest pipe to your home and office and offer you a mobility feature.

These companies know that at their current size they're not going to be big enough to have the necessary capital, and they don't have enough spectrum to get to the third generation.

This years keynote session is a clear reminder that wireless data technology is expanding its reach beyond that of an alternative to wireline telephony. We have gathered an exclusive group of business leaders to share how wireless is being integrated into their companys business strategies and what it means for their bottom lines. The presence of these telecom, media and entertainment giants on our center stage is a great indicator of the impact wireless data has made on countless industries,

It's hard, or you wouldn't like it. A lot of coaches really don't like what they're doing.

I would say the most significant difference between modern-era receivers and previous receivers is the ones who were in my generation or earlier had to get a job after they got through playing. Today's player doesn't.

It sure made me feel good to be here today, and have so many people say so many kind things.