J.J. Watt: Chasing Greatness | Forward Progress

Somebody close to you told me that deep down you want to go down as the greatest football player ever to live.

True.

Shouldn't everybody? Why would I not want that? I think that if you're playing the game and if you're waking up every day and going to work and putting in the time, putting in the effort, eating right, sleeping right, doing everything right, Why would you do all that work if you're not trying to be the best ever? It just seems like that would be such a waste of time to me.

If you're going to play something, I don't care what it is, your goal should be to be the best ever.

Now, you may not accomplish that, but you're going to create the best version of yourself that there is.

I heard a quote the other day, I can't remember who said it, but it was something like, my biggest fear is that one day the man I became... will meet the man I could have become.

And I think that that's such a real quote, and that's probably another driving factor for me, is I don't want to leave anything on the table.

I don't ever want to look back in my life and say, I wish I would have done this, or I wish I would have worked a little harder here, or I wish I would have gone down this path.

I want to leave the game, I want to leave this life knowing that I did everything I could to be the best I could be.

What do you think makes you successful? I think it's the willingness to make sacrifices.

I think it's the discipline.

I think it's, I mean, obviously I'm fortunate to have a body that gives me a better chance than some in my sport, but I think it's the day-to-day willingness to do what it takes.

I think that A lot of people have long-term visions, long-term goals, but what you're gonna do today, this minute, to make yourself more successful, that's really what sets people apart.