Top 30 Roger Goodell Quotes (2025 Update)

1. “Change before you’re forced to change.”

— Roger Goodell

Featured in: Adaptability Quotes

2. “The same mistakes can never be repeated.”

— Roger Goodell

3. “When there’s a pattern of mistakes, something has got to change.”

— Roger Goodell

4. “I’m very fortunate, and I know that.”

— Roger Goodell

5. “Ignorance is not a suitable defense.”

— Roger Goodell

6. “You have to continue to learn. That’s how you develop. So the people who show that curiosity, that ambition, that willingness to do what it takes to improve and to get better, they’re the people who are going to be successful in the long term.”

— Roger Goodell

7. “My goal was to prove to my family I wasn’t a dummy.”

— Roger Goodell

8. “I spent a lot of time in the school psychologist’s office. I didn’t apply myself. My mother thought I had learning disabilities.”

— Roger Goodell

9. “No one is above the game or the rules that govern it. Respect for the game and the people who participate in it will not be compromised.”

— Roger Goodell

10. “I take my responsibilities very seriously.”

— Roger Goodell

11. “I think when someone is injured in your family, you want to speak to the individual and you want to hear their voice and you want to make sure they are OK.”

— Roger Goodell

12. “Bob Beaudine challenges you to think differently. His unique approach to life and business has helped elevate many careers.”

— Roger Goodell

13. “It’s always unfortunate when something gets misreported and the facts are not clear.”

— Roger Goodell

14. “I’ve spent my life following my passion.”

— Roger Goodell

15. “It’s an awesome responsibility, not only to maintain the level of success the NFL has, but to build on that.”

— Roger Goodell

16. “I don’t get myself caught up in the rhetoric of any personal comments that are made.”

— Roger Goodell

17. “My job is to protect the integrity of the NFL and to make sure the game is as safe as possible.”

— Roger Goodell

18. “The one thing I would hope would go on my tombstone is, ‘I made my parents proud.’”

— Roger Goodell

19. “The owners don’t win by having a lockout. Shutting down your business is not good for anybody and it’s certainly not good for the players, it’s certainly not good for the fans. And that’s most important to us.”

— Roger Goodell

20. “I learned in high school that I was going to have to outwork people. I remember running around the track, training for football, and a faster guy ran past me. I just figured, I can outlast him. If I work harder than him, I’ll beat him. And to this day I overprepare.”

— Roger Goodell

21. “It’s not just the NFL. Every other league has a draft. It has been fundamental to the success of professional sports.”

— Roger Goodell

22. “HGH testing is happening in Olympics. The science is there. It is a valid test.”

— Roger Goodell

23. “The highest standards of conduct must be met by everyone in the NFL because it is a privilege to represent the NFL, not a right.”

— Roger Goodell

24. “One of the strong principles that I believe in is that you’re always learning, whether you’re a commissioner, a current general manager, a president or an owner, or somebody that’s trying to become a general manger or a coach in the NFL.”

— Roger Goodell

Featured in: Strong Quotes

25. “I am awake a lot of nights.”

— Roger Goodell

26. “I hold head coaches accountable.”

— Roger Goodell

27. “I don’t expect to try to get people to like everything I do. I want them to respect what I do.”

— Roger Goodell

28. “The NCAA has to establish their own rules and enforce their own rules.”

— Roger Goodell

29. “It is a privilege for me to serve the NFL. It is the only place I have ever wanted to work.”

— Roger Goodell

30. “I have to make a lot of decisions that aren’t in the best interests of individuals, whether they be owners, club executives, players.”

— Roger Goodell

31. “I think the state of the NFL has a very positive outlook.”

— Roger Goodell

32. “I talk to players all the time.”

— Roger Goodell

33. “Every game in the NFL is important.”

— Roger Goodell