--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I played pro football, I never set…" description: "\"When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something.\" — Dick ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/dick-butkus-33088_football_when-i-played-pro-football-i-never-set-o_1809083.png" --- # When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone… ![“When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something.” quote by Dick Butkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/dick-butkus-33088_football_when-i-played-pro-football-i-never-set-o_1809083.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/dick-butkus-33088_football_when-i-played-pro-football-i-never-set-o_1809083.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/dick-butkus-33088_football_when-i-played-pro-football-i-never-set-o_1809083.png) > “When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something.” [Dick Butkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-butkus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Competing fiercely but avoiding intentional harm unless stakes demand it. **In simple terms:** Play hard, hurt only when necessary. Key Takeaway Balance aggression with sportsmanship. Themes competition ethics intensity Mood serious reflective Type motivational ethical When to use this quote - game day - training sessions - team decisions Key Concepts football professional conduct risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - When is it justified to prioritize winning over safety? - How do you reconcile aggression with compassion? A Different Perspective Physical aggression can still cause unintended injury. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Pro football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pro-football/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not so mean. I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-butkus/i-m-not-so-mean-i-wouldn-t-ever-go-out-to-hurt-anybody-deliberately/) [Dick Butkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-butkus/) > [I wouldn't ever set out to hurt anyone deliberately unless it was, you know, important - like a league game or something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-butkus/i-wouldn-t-ever-set-out-to-hurt-anyone-deliberately-unless-it-was-you/) [Dick Butkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-butkus/) > [You can be in the league and still feel like you're not in the league. That was the point I was at when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-tucker/you-can-be-in-the-league-and-still-feel-like-you-re-not-in-the-league/) [P. J. Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-tucker/) > [Like everything else in the league, you want to be wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-randle/like-everything-else-in-the-league-you-want-to-be-wanted/) [Julius Randle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-randle/) > [“Failures are like league match of life from which you learn how to be a winner”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yashvardhan/failures-are-like-league-match-of-life-from-which-you-learn-how-to-be/) Yashvardhan > [How often do you get to build a pro football league from scratch?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-luck/how-often-do-you-get-to-build-a-pro-football-league-from-scratch/) [Oliver Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-luck/) > [Polls are now even more meaningless than ever... there was the case of Ronnie O'Brien, the young footballer who incredibly found himself at Juventus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-o-doherty/polls-are-now-even-more-meaningless-than-ever-there-was-the-case-of/) [Ian O'Doherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-o-doherty/) > [I could have been Mr. America if I wanted to be, but I chose wrestling. I could have played pro-football, but I chose wrestling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-orndorff/i-could-have-been-mr-america-if-i-wanted-to-be-but-i-chose-wrestling/) [Paul Orndorff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-orndorff/) > [I was born in Canada, and then my dad played pro soccer in England and then also on an island off the coast of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-bunbury/i-was-born-in-canada-and-then-my-dad-played-pro-soccer-in-england-and/) [Kylie Bunbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-bunbury/) > [The beauty of having played pro football for so long is that people haven't seen me angry, overly happy or despondent - the range…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-long/the-beauty-of-having-played-pro-football-for-so-long-is-that-people/) [Howie Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-long/) > [The one thing I'd always wanted to do in my career is push myself out of my comfort zone - I think I'm really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayley-wickenheiser/the-one-thing-i-d-always-wanted-to-do-in-my-career-is-push-myself-out/) [Hayley Wickenheiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayley-wickenheiser/) > [When I look at my situation, yes, there were a lot of things... small school, didn't play much... but I knew that when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-warner/when-i-look-at-my-situation-yes-there-were-a-lot-of-things-small/) [Kurt Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-warner/) > [I played baseball in college, and then I went to Russia to study acting and played some pro ball over there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-bernthal/i-played-baseball-in-college-and-then-i-went-to-russia-to-study/) [Jon Bernthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-bernthal/) > [Being in college, 600 in the world, I played a few pro tournaments, but I wasn't sure if it was a real possibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shelton/being-in-college-600-in-the-world-i-played-a-few-pro-tournaments-but/) [Ben Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shelton/) > [I wasn't the athletic kid in my family. Both of my brothers were on athletic scholarships and my dad played semi-pro hockey. My younger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-mcnevan/i-wasn-t-the-athletic-kid-in-my-family-both-of-my-brothers-were-on/) [Trevor McNevan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-mcnevan/) ## More by Dick Butkus > [I'm not so mean. I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-butkus/i-m-not-so-mean-i-wouldn-t-ever-go-out-to-hurt-anybody-deliberately/) [Dick Butkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-butkus/) > [I worked hard at becoming a professional football player, just like society says you should. It said you had to be fierce. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-butkus/i-worked-hard-at-becoming-a-professional-football-player-just-like/) [Dick Butkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-butkus/) > [Few people get to earn a living at what they like to do and there are hazards in any profession. Football is something I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-butkus/few-people-get-to-earn-a-living-at-what-they-like-to-do-and-there-are/) [Dick Butkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-butkus/) > [Anything that happens that's good, they think, Oh, it's an accident, when is the roof caving in? You've got to get them out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-butkus/anything-that-happens-that-s-good-they-think-oh-it-s-an-accident-when/) [Dick Butkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-butkus/) > [If I was smart enough to be a doctor, I'd be a doctor. I ain't, so I'm a football player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-butkus/if-i-was-smart-enough-to-be-a-doctor-i-d-be-a-doctor-i-ain-t-so-i-m-a/) [Dick Butkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-butkus/) > [The bottom line is that these athletes tend to be safer investments because they really value their marketing opportunities. They don't make as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-butkus/the-bottom-line-is-that-these-athletes-tend-to-be-safer-investments/) [Dick Butkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-butkus/) > [If we're not on them, they go back to their old ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-butkus/if-we-re-not-on-them-they-go-back-to-their-old-ways/) [Dick Butkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-butkus/) > [I wouldn't ever set out to hurt anyone deliberately unless it was, you know, important - like a league game or something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-butkus/i-wouldn-t-ever-set-out-to-hurt-anyone-deliberately-unless-it-was-you/) [Dick Butkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-butkus/) > [We're a big check mark on everybody's schedule. I told them it's just another challenge; let's go after it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-butkus/we-re-a-big-check-mark-on-everybody-s-schedule-i-told-them-it-s-just/) [Dick Butkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-butkus/) > [My thing is trying to convince them they can win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-butkus/my-thing-is-trying-to-convince-them-they-can-win/) [Dick Butkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-butkus/) > [Some parents were nervous about how they would portray everything, ... At a picnic the moms put on for the team and coaches, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-butkus/some-parents-were-nervous-about-how-they-would-portray-everything-at/) [Dick Butkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-butkus/) > [The real reason for coming to Montour is my love and respect for football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-butkus/the-real-reason-for-coming-to-montour-is-my-love-and-respect-for/) [Dick Butkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-butkus/) > [I want to be recognized as the best-no doubt about it. When they say all-pro middle linebacker, I want them to mean Butkus!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-butkus/i-want-to-be-recognized-as-the-best-no-doubt-about-it-when-they-say/) [Dick Butkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-butkus/) > [If I were young, fast, healthy, and had a lot of money and my whole sex life ahead of me, I'd retire - like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-butkus/if-i-were-young-fast-healthy-and-had-a-lot-of-money-and-my-whole-sex/) [Dick Butkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-butkus/) [Explore all 15 Dick Butkus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-butkus/) ## More Football quotes > [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. So I went to Belgium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorgan-hazard/when-i-came-to-chelsea-it-was-clear-that-like-many-other-players-i/) [Thorgan Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorgan-hazard/) > [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/) [Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/) > [There are guys who play lacrosse, and there are lacrosse players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-mundorf/there-are-guys-who-play-lacrosse-and-there-are-lacrosse-players/) Brendan Mundorf > [Giggs is the realest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kaluuya/giggs-is-the-realest/) [Daniel Kaluuya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kaluuya/) > [You get a new coach; you do things a little differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-manning/you-get-a-new-coach-you-do-things-a-little-differently/) [Archie Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-manning/) > [You gotta have a little kid in you to play football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-edwards/you-gotta-have-a-little-kid-in-you-to-play-football/) [Herman Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-edwards/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [My team mates are fundamental for my characteristics, if they send in crosses I can play inside the area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filippo-inzaghi/my-team-mates-are-fundamental-for-my-characteristics-if-they-send-in/) [Filippo Inzaghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filippo-inzaghi/) > [The Copa del Rey is a different competition. It is football in its purest form and is different from the continuity of the league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-laudrup/the-copa-del-rey-is-a-different-competition-it-is-football-in-its/) [Michael Laudrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-laudrup/) > [“Wild card, got it," Duncan said. "Just like in Crazy Eights. I can be a diamond; I can be a spade. Whatever you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-healy/wild-card-got-it-duncan-said-just-like-in-crazy-eights-i-can-be-a/) [Christopher Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-healy/) > [Leo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Eden. Every year, you look at their numbers - score goals, assists, minutes - to see they play very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro/leo-cristiano-ronaldo-neymar-eden-every-year-you-look-at-their/) [Pedro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro/) > [It's a lot harder to play football when you haven't got the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gray/it-s-a-lot-harder-to-play-football-when-you-haven-t-got-the-ball/) [Andy Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gray/) > [I just enjoy winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xander-bogaerts/i-just-enjoy-winning/) [Xander Bogaerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xander-bogaerts/) > [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/) [Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/) > [We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/we-cannot-change-the-cards-we-are-dealt-just-how-we-play-the-hand/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) [Browse all 59,646 Football quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dick Butkus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-butkus/when-i-played-pro-football-i-never-set-out-to-hurt-anyone/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Football" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-butkus/when-i-played-pro-football-i-never-set-out-to-hurt-anyone/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/dick-butkus-33088_football_when-i-played-pro-football-i-never-set-o_1809083.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/dick-butkus-33088_football_when-i-played-pro-football-i-never-set-o_1809083.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/dick-butkus-33088_football_when-i-played-pro-football-i-never-set-o_1809083.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately - unless it was, you know…” — Dick Butkus", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dick Butkus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-butkus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I played pro football, I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-butkus/when-i-played-pro-football-i-never-set-out-to-hurt-anyone/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-butkus/when-i-played-pro-football-i-never-set-out-to-hurt-anyone/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```