--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have seen some of the greatest…" description: "\"We have seen some of the greatest athletes fall because they have tried to take shortcuts. I'm not going to call any names but we talk about guys that ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/jerry-rice-11220_athlete_we-have-seen-some-of-the-greatest-athlet_1703772.png" --- # We have seen some of the greatest athletes fall because… ![“We have seen some of the greatest athletes fall because they have tried to take shortcuts. I'm not going to call any names but we talk about guys that was like at the top of their game that people just idolized. They looked in awe and all of a sudden you see them just come tumbling down because…” quote by Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/jerry-rice-11220_athlete_we-have-seen-some-of-the-greatest-athlet_1703772.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/jerry-rice-11220_athlete_we-have-seen-some-of-the-greatest-athlet_1703772.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/jerry-rice-11220_athlete_we-have-seen-some-of-the-greatest-athlet_1703772.png) > “We have seen some of the greatest athletes fall because they have tried to take shortcuts. I'm not going to call any names but we talk about guys that was like at the top of their game that people just idolized. They looked in awe and all of a sudden you see them just come tumbling down because they want to take shortcuts. I think it's more rewarding when you do it the old fashioned way.” [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shortcuts lead to downfall; enduring effort yields lasting reward. **In simple terms:** Hard work beats shortcuts. Key Takeaway Value consistent effort over quick fixes. Themes sports integrity effort success Mood motivational reflective Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - coaching - career planning - personal development - team leadership Key Concepts ethics discipline Questions to Reflect On - What shortcuts have you taken that paid off? - How do you balance speed and integrity? A Different Perspective Shortcuts can sometimes be strategic, not always detrimental. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) [Awe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awe/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Greatest athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-athlete/) [Old fashioned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-fashioned/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Shortcuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shortcuts/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [What's the most critical factor in any business decision you'll ever have to make? Basically, it boils down to this question: If this all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/what-s-the-most-critical-factor-in-any-business-decision-you-ll-ever/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [The whole social structure is now tumbling down, dethroning its God, undermining all its certainties. All this, wonderfully enough, is being done in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/the-whole-social-structure-is-now-tumbling-down-dethroning-its-god/) [Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/) > [Let the shameful walls of exclusion finally come tumbling down,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/let-the-shameful-walls-of-exclusion-finally-come-tumbling-down/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [I might have arguments with the size of Reagan's military buildup, but given the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, staying ahead of the Soviets militarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-might-have-arguments-with-the-size-of-reagan-s-military-buildup-but/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Sweeping from butcher's stalls, dung, guts, and blood, Drown'd puppies, stinking sprats, all drench'd in mud, Dead cats, and turnip-tops, come tumbling down the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/sweeping-from-butcher-s-stalls-dung-guts-and-blood-drown-d-puppies/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [It's much easier to become a hacker now. It was a private community before and you had to find your way in, like tumbling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-demon-calce/it-s-much-easier-to-become-a-hacker-now-it-was-a-private-community/) [Michael Demon Calce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-demon-calce/) > [“The boarded-up homes, the decaying storefronts, the aging church rolls, kids from unknown families who swaggered down the streets - loud congregations of teenage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-boarded-up-homes-the-decaying-storefronts-the-aging-church-rolls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Exposed! shines a harsh light on the myriad horrors of modern society and reports back from the fearful frontlines with wicked wit and paranoid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-robert-johnson/exposed-shines-a-harsh-light-on-the-myriad-horrors-of-modern-society/) [Jeremy Robert Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-robert-johnson/) > [I don't think anything's more rewarding than hearing that you've helped someone gain a love of reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dashner/i-don-t-think-anything-s-more-rewarding-than-hearing-that-you-ve/) [James Dashner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dashner/) > [If you let someone talk for an hour, you're gonna have a pretty good idea of who they are, and I think that's more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-maron/if-you-let-someone-talk-for-an-hour-you-re-gonna-have-a-pretty-good/) [Marc Maron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-maron/) > [The thing that I think about the most, and is the most rewarding to me, is the whole past. That I kind of went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-max/the-thing-that-i-think-about-the-most-and-is-the-most-rewarding-to-me/) [Tucker Max](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-max/) > [I think the most rewarding part for me is kind of not knowing where the story's going next, and then finding out and being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamzin-merchant/i-think-the-most-rewarding-part-for-me-is-kind-of-not-knowing-where/) [Tamzin Merchant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamzin-merchant/) > [The big thing that everyone forgets, you're famous and on TV and everything, but I think there's something very rewarding to be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-collen/the-big-thing-that-everyone-forgets-you-re-famous-and-on-tv-and/) [Phil Collen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-collen/) > [I think the most rewarding thing is going over and being deployed and having done meaningful things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/i-think-the-most-rewarding-thing-is-going-over-and-being-deployed-and/) [Tim Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kennedy/) > [I can't think of anything more rewarding than being able to express yourself to others through painting. Exercising the imagination, experimenting with talents, being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-ross/i-can-t-think-of-anything-more-rewarding-than-being-able-to-express/) [Bob Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-ross/) ## More by Jerry Rice > [I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-feel-like-i-m-the-best-but-you-re-not-going-to-get-me-to-say-that/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [My first experience with football was not very good because I didn't plan on playing football. I was just playing hookie one day and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/my-first-experience-with-football-was-not-very-good-because-i-didn-t/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [During the offseason, I didn't take any time off. And I played this game for over 20 years. So right after the season, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/during-the-offseason-i-didn-t-take-any-time-off-and-i-played-this/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [I think just what my parents instilled in me was hard work and being able to always go out there and focus and be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-think-just-what-my-parents-instilled-in-me-was-hard-work-and-being/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [The chemistry between a quarterback and a receiver is almost like a dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/the-chemistry-between-a-quarterback-and-a-receiver-is-almost-like-a/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [The same thing I applied to football, I applied to trying to be an actor and hopefully it came off well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/the-same-thing-i-applied-to-football-i-applied-to-trying-to-be-an/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [Like I said, repetition in practice and hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/like-i-said-repetition-in-practice-and-hard-work/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [I think the thing about that was I was always willing to work; I was not the fastest or biggest player but I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-think-the-thing-about-that-was-i-was-always-willing-to-work-i-was/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [Monday Night Football. That was everything to me because you get a chance to show everybody what you're capable of. It's only two teams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/monday-night-football-that-was-everything-to-me-because-you-get-a/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [Montana and I had a chemistry that was unbelievable. When I first came into the league he told me I added five years to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/montana-and-i-had-a-chemistry-that-was-unbelievable-when-i-first-came/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [I had that hunger, that desire, to be successful and I wasn’t going to let anything stand in my way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-had-that-hunger-that-desire-to-be-successful-and-i-wasn-t-going-to/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [I think with my hands, it was catching a lot of footballs and working with my father during the summer because he would always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-think-with-my-hands-it-was-catching-a-lot-of-footballs-and-working/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [Defensive backs are the best players on the field. But when you get an exceptional player like a Deion Sanders or a Darrell Green…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/defensive-backs-are-the-best-players-on-the-field-but-when-you-get-an/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [I was always in search of a perfect game and I never got it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-was-always-in-search-of-a-perfect-game-and-i-never-got-it/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [There is still a lot of football in me and I enjoy watching the players go out there and be the best players they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/there-is-still-a-lot-of-football-in-me-and-i-enjoy-watching-the/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) [Explore all 61 Jerry Rice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) ## More Athlete quotes > [As a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-hoya/as-a-professional-athlete-and-someone-who-has-spent-almost-his-entire/) [Oscar De La Hoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-hoya/) > [I'd noticed him watching me for a year or so, especially when we'd play games where there was running or jumping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/i-d-noticed-him-watching-me-for-a-year-or-so-especially-when-we-d/) [Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/) [Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/) > [I think what bothers us about fighting sports isn't the damage to the athlete but the fact that you win by doing more harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/i-think-what-bothers-us-about-fighting-sports-isn-t-the-damage-to-the/) [Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/) > [Athletes at all ages are bigger and stronger than ever before. And they are being encouraged - sometimes even incentivized, as we recently learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/athletes-at-all-ages-are-bigger-and-stronger-than-ever-before-and/) [Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/) > [I think life is full of challenges and problems. I don't believe that anyone is perfect. We all make mistakes. It's not a bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-mansell/i-think-life-is-full-of-challenges-and-problems-i-don-t-believe-that/) [Nigel Mansell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-mansell/) > [I'd never been much of an athlete, due to a physical condition I'd had since birth (unathleticism). Perhaps if there were a sport centered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-d-never-been-much-of-an-athlete-due-to-a-physical-condition-i-d-had/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-collins/i-didn-t-set-out-to-be-the-first-openly-gay-athlete-playing-in-a/) [Jason Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-collins/) > [I like to push characters to extremes so they have to make really tough decisions and there is no life more extreme than that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/i-like-to-push-characters-to-extremes-so-they-have-to-make-really/) [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) > [I don't want to say names, but there are certain companies I won't work with because of previous people they've worked with. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-morgan/i-don-t-want-to-say-names-but-there-are-certain-companies-i-won-t/) [Alex Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-morgan/) > [We are like highly trained athletes, who never run a race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/we-are-like-highly-trained-athletes-who-never-run-a-race/) [Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/) > [There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/there-are-only-two-options-regarding-commitment-you-re-either-in-or/) [Pat Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/) > [I didn't aspire to be a good sport; 'champion' was good enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-perry/i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-a-good-sport-champion-was-good-enough-for-me/) [Fred Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-perry/) > [Treat yourself like an overweight, out of shape person and that's what you will be. Why not train and treat yourself like an athlete?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalene-johnson/treat-yourself-like-an-overweight-out-of-shape-person-and-that-s-what/) [Chalene Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalene-johnson/) [Browse all 2,455 Athlete quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We have seen some of the greatest athletes fall because they have tried to take shortcuts. I'm not going to call any names but we talk about guys that was like at the top of their game that people just idolized. They looked in awe and all of a sudden you see them just come tumbling down because they want to take shortcuts. I think it's more rewarding when you do it the old fashioned way.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jerry Rice" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/we-have-seen-some-of-the-greatest-athletes-fall-because-they-have/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Athlete" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/we-have-seen-some-of-the-greatest-athletes-fall-because-they-have/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/jerry-rice-11220_athlete_we-have-seen-some-of-the-greatest-athlet_1703772.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/jerry-rice-11220_athlete_we-have-seen-some-of-the-greatest-athlet_1703772.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/jerry-rice-11220_athlete_we-have-seen-some-of-the-greatest-athlet_1703772.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We have seen some of the greatest athletes fall because they have tried to take shortcuts. I'm not going to…” — Jerry Rice", "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": "Jerry Rice", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We have seen some of the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/we-have-seen-some-of-the-greatest-athletes-fall-because-they-have/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/we-have-seen-some-of-the-greatest-athletes-fall-because-they-have/#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 } } ] } ```