63 Quotes by Thomas Jones

My inspiration is my hometown. I feel that because I’m representing my very overlooked region of Virginia, I have to keep accomplishing my goals to show everyone there that you can truly become whatever you believe with hard work and dedication.

I’m a gym rat, I have to admit. I live in the gym, and now that I don’t have to get beat up for a living, I can truly enjoy taking care of myself without worrying about breaking my leg or getting paralyzed.

The hardest thing I’ve had to overcome was being from my small coal-mining town of Big Stone Gap, Virginia. My mother was a coal miner for nineteen years, and the expectations of making it out of my town were slim to none.

You’re whatever you think you are. People like to compartmentalize other people. I don’t worry about what other people think. I’m not living for them.

Everybody dismissed athletes as being purely physical, but when you retire, you go from such an intense brain time – study of defense, audibles, hand signals, plays, adjustments – to a level of mental inactivity that’s hard to comprehend. It’s a big reason why I stay so active. Creating, evolving.

While I was in the NFL, I would eat five times a day. I only eat twice a day now, and I box and play basketball every day. I’m extremely happy with my body and mind.

The common perception is it only happens to people who aren’t paying attention.

Acting has helped me detox in football. Getting lost in a character and a scene, it’s awesome.

When I’m 75 years old, I want to say that I chased my dream. I didn’t let other people’s opinions dictate what I have in my book of my life.