For most of them, college was a means to their professional football ends. So it's not surprising when you hear dumb things come out of their mouths.
While most sports quotes are boring and cliche, every once in a while there is a gem that stands the test of time. And not in a good way.
Here are some of the dumbest quotes in NFL history.
"It's modern-day slavery." ~Adrian Peterson
In March 2011, Minnesota Vikings running back compared the NFL to slavery when discussing the NFL lockout.
Peterson was referring to the amount of money the owners made and how much players were getting paid.
Peterson eventually apologized for his comment saying, “I regret using those words because obviously there is nothing, absolutely nothing that you can compare to slavery.”
He also claimed the quote was taken out of context.
“It was [taken] out of context and it was on me for putting it out there to make it available to be taken out of context,” Peterson said.
In September, Peterson signed a seven-year, $100 million contract extension with the Vikings.
"It's a humbling thing being humble." ~Maurice Clarett
In February 2005, Clarett turned out a disappointing performance at the NFL Combine and dropped this memorable line on the media during his post-workout news conference.
The former Ohio State running back was eventually drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the NFL draft.
Clarett would be humbled again just months after the draft when the Broncos released him.
Then in 2006, Clarett was humbled again when he was thrown in jail for robbery. He was released from prison in April 2010.
"I wanna kiss you. I couldn’t care less about the team struggling. What we know is we can improve. Chad Pennington, our quarterback, missed the first part of the season, and we struggled. We’re looking to next season. We’re looking to make a noise now, and I wanna kiss you!” ~Joe Namath
For many years, Namath was best known for making good on his guarantee that the New York Jets would upset the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl 3. That was until he met Suzy Kolber.
In December 2003, Namath was being interviewed by Kolber during the New York Jets-New England Patriots game when he made a pass at the sideline reporter.
The pro football Hall of Famer admitted that he had been drinking before the interview and apologized to Kolber for the comment.
For a younger generation that never saw Namath play, this is now what he's known for.
"I Play When I Want to Play." ~Randy Moss
Randy Moss has provided football fans with plenty of memorable performances during his career. But as good as Moss was, he earned a reputation for being lazy and disinterested.
In November 2001, Moss made the comment that made him one of professional sports' easiest players to hate. While it may have been taken out of context, he never defended his comment and the quote lived on.
Here was a pro football player, who was just months removed from signing an eight-year, $75 million contract, saying all the wrong things.
That quote stuck with Moss his entire career and still to this day reminds many of how selfish pro athletes can be.
"He treats us like men. He lets us wear earrings." ~Torrin Polk
Okay, this isn't an NFL quote, but it deserves a spot on this list.
In October 1991, the University of Houston wide receiver was discussing his new head coach, John Jenkins, when he dropped this line.
While the back story of this quote is difficult to track down, it's clear what he was trying to say.
Fortunately for us, while he was trying to explain the level of mutual respect between players and coach, he gave us one of the funniest sports quotes in history.
Other Quotable Notables:
-“I want to rush for 1,000 or 1,500 yards, whichever comes first.” ~George Rogers, running back, New Orleans Saints
-“People say I’ll be drafted in the first round, maybe even higher.” ~Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, running back, New Orleans Saints
-“Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.” ~Joe Theismann, quarterback, Washington Redskins
