--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's always hard - if you're not the best…" description: "\"It's always hard - if you're not the best player on your team, how can you be the best player in college?\" — Marcus Allen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/marcus-allen-28832_being-the-best_it-s-always-hard-if-you-re-not-the-best_1483913.png" --- # It's always hard - if you're not the best player on your… ![“It's always hard - if you're not the best player on your team, how can you be the best player in college?” quote by Marcus Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/marcus-allen-28832_being-the-best_it-s-always-hard-if-you-re-not-the-best_1483913.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/marcus-allen-28832_being-the-best_it-s-always-hard-if-you-re-not-the-best_1483913.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/marcus-allen-28832_being-the-best_it-s-always-hard-if-you-re-not-the-best_1483913.png) > “It's always hard - if you're not the best player on your team, how can you be the best player in college?” [Marcus Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-allen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excellence requires being the best among peers, not just within a team. **In simple terms:** Be the best player, not just the best on a team. Key Takeaway Strive for personal excellence. Themes competition self‑improvement leadership Mood reflective ambitious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - college athletics - team sports - individual training - career planning Key Concepts personal mastery goal setting Questions to Reflect On - What defines “best” for you? - How can you lift others while excelling? A Different Perspective Being the best can create tension with teammates. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being the best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-the-best/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/) [Team building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team-building/) ## Related quotes > [I think physically and mentally I'm good enough to be a top player in college, but I really won't know until I get out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-bosa/i-think-physically-and-mentally-i-m-good-enough-to-be-a-top-player-in/) [Nick Bosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-bosa/) > [I was an average football player in college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-long/i-was-an-average-football-player-in-college/) [Howie Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-long/) > [In order to have a winner, the team must have a feeling of unity; every player must put the team first ahead of personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-bryant/in-order-to-have-a-winner-the-team-must-have-a-feeling-of-unity-every/) [Bear Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-bryant/) > [The team with the best players usually does win - this is why you need to invest the majority of your time and energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/the-team-with-the-best-players-usually-does-win-this-is-why-you-need/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [I've just got to be the best player that I can be and worry about what I've got to do to help out the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-gronkowski/i-ve-just-got-to-be-the-best-player-that-i-can-be-and-worry-about/) [Rob Gronkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-gronkowski/) > [...you could be the best team or the best player in different generations and people respect each other. Nobody cares who was the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-brown/you-could-be-the-best-team-or-the-best-player-in-different/) [Jim Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-brown/) > [Everybody knows that they can be the best player in the team, but if they don't work, then it's not going to be good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mousa-dembele/everybody-knows-that-they-can-be-the-best-player-in-the-team-but-if/) [Mousa Dembele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mousa-dembele/) > [I want to become someone who's reliable where you can switch me onto the opposing team's best player and you're not losing much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-huerter/i-want-to-become-someone-who-s-reliable-where-you-can-switch-me-onto/) [Kevin Huerter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-huerter/) > [I want to lead my team the best way I can to help them to the Super Bowl and be the best player in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micah-parsons/i-want-to-lead-my-team-the-best-way-i-can-to-help-them-to-the-super/) [Micah Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micah-parsons/) > [Get the best player because whether it's soccer or whether it's anything else the team with the best players wins. So focus your energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/get-the-best-player-because-whether-it-s-soccer-or-whether-it-s/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [ Leo \[Messi\] is the best player of all time - better than Pele, Maradona or Cruyff. There have been some great teams in history… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xavi/leo-messi-is-the-best-player-of-all-time-better-than-pele-maradona-or/) [Xavi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xavi/) > [Our offensive philosophy is to simply find a way to get the ball into the hands of our team's best player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelvin-sampson/our-offensive-philosophy-is-to-simply-find-a-way-to-get-the-ball-into/) [Kelvin Sampson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelvin-sampson/) > [It's how I've been playing my whole life, guarding the best player on the other team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kawhi-leonard/it-s-how-i-ve-been-playing-my-whole-life-guarding-the-best-player-on/) [Kawhi Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kawhi-leonard/) > [I really don't think of myself as the best player on the team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stockton/i-really-don-t-think-of-myself-as-the-best-player-on-the-team/) [John Stockton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stockton/) > [Barca are the favourites because they have a better team and have the best player in the world, who is Messi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-deulofeu/barca-are-the-favourites-because-they-have-a-better-team-and-have-the/) [Gerard Deulofeu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-deulofeu/) ## More by Marcus Allen > [That's the thing about fear. Death will kill you once, but fear kills you over and over and over, if you let it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-allen/that-s-the-thing-about-fear-death-will-kill-you-once-but-fear-kills/) [Marcus Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-allen/) > [To be a winner of that, and to fall in the long line of traditional great backs at USC, to have your name in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-allen/to-be-a-winner-of-that-and-to-fall-in-the-long-line-of-traditional/) [Marcus Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-allen/) > [Love yourself, respect yourself. Never sell yourself short. Believe in yourself regardless of what other people think. You can accomplish anything, absolutely anything, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-allen/love-yourself-respect-yourself-never-sell-yourself-short-believe-in/) [Marcus Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-allen/) > [I just felt like reflecting on my junior year, when I didn't know what I was doing, I left a lot of stuff out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-allen/i-just-felt-like-reflecting-on-my-junior-year-when-i-didn-t-know-what/) [Marcus Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-allen/) > [You know, I think when I reflect on it, I think there's certainly a sense of history. When you have ambitions to play this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-allen/you-know-i-think-when-i-reflect-on-it-i-think-there-s-certainly-a/) [Marcus Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-allen/) > [You've got to be extremely careful, because you could be with a great team, and you could be the product of a great team.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-allen/you-ve-got-to-be-extremely-careful-because-you-could-be-with-a-great/) [Marcus Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-allen/) > [It really lasted the whole game, because I was really untouchable, unstoppable that game. But it was heightened on one particular play, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-allen/it-really-lasted-the-whole-game-because-i-was-really-untouchable/) [Marcus Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-allen/) > [ There are two types of players: those who know and those who don’t. The smartest ones usually play the longest and \[are\] usually the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-allen/there-are-two-types-of-players-those-who-know-and-those-who-don-t-the/) [Marcus Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-allen/) > [It´s time we saw sex as the truly sacred art that it is. A deep meditation, a holy communion and a dance with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-allen/it-s-time-we-saw-sex-as-the-truly-sacred-art-that-it-is-a-deep/) [Marcus Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-allen/) > [But Barry, to me, is head and shoulders above everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-allen/but-barry-to-me-is-head-and-shoulders-above-everybody/) [Marcus Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-allen/) > [At USC, if you're running back there, and you do gain you over 1,500 yards, people see you as a candidate, but not one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-allen/at-usc-if-you-re-running-back-there-and-you-do-gain-you-over-1-500/) [Marcus Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-allen/) > [I was saying earlier that it's really strange - you can almost step outside yourself and observe yourself running, and that's what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-allen/i-was-saying-earlier-that-it-s-really-strange-you-can-almost-step/) [Marcus Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-allen/) > [Going in, I knew I wasn't one of the top ones, because I didn't even make the pre-season All-American team. That shows you what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-allen/going-in-i-knew-i-wasn-t-one-of-the-top-ones-because-i-didn-t-even/) [Marcus Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-allen/) > [Even as voters, we try to keep up with the guys as much as possible, mainly through television or ESPN.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-allen/even-as-voters-we-try-to-keep-up-with-the-guys-as-much-as-possible/) [Marcus Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-allen/) > [I just think that we're capable of so much more; we don't utilize all our capacity like we should.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-allen/i-just-think-that-we-re-capable-of-so-much-more-we-don-t-utilize-all/) [Marcus Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-allen/) [Explore all 19 Marcus Allen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-allen/) ## More Being the best quotes > [High school sucked. It was a universal truth, and whoever said these were supposed to be the best years of your life was probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/high-school-sucked-it-was-a-universal-truth-and-whoever-said-these/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [I think my days of trying outrageous things are over. I'm not looking for trends, I just want to be the best version of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-paltrow/i-think-my-days-of-trying-outrageous-things-are-over-i-m-not-looking/) [Gwyneth Paltrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-paltrow/) > [I want to be the best, it's not about the ranking, it's about being consistent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saina-nehwal/i-want-to-be-the-best-it-s-not-about-the-ranking-it-s-about-being/) [Saina Nehwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saina-nehwal/) > [Ah simple laughter that you trewing on my face. Is a simple karma that you will get for tomorrow.. Ah big clap from my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leodonessiony/ah-simple-laughter-that-you-trewing-on-my-face-is-a-simple-karma-that/) [Leodonessiony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leodonessiony/) > [To be tested is good. The challenged life may be the best therapist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/to-be-tested-is-good-the-challenged-life-may-be-the-best-therapist/) [Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/) > [There's no guarantee for the future; might as well be HAPPY now, and give my BEST in everything I do! In that way I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-mond/there-s-no-guarantee-for-the-future-might-as-well-be-happy-now-and/) [London Mond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-mond/) > [Success lies not in the result but in the effort. BEING the Best is not at all important. DOING the Best is all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prabin-shrestha/success-lies-not-in-the-result-but-in-the-effort-being-the-best-is/) [Prabin Shrestha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prabin-shrestha/) > [Sometimes you choose the wrong actor, he could be the best actor ever, but hes not cast in the right part then it doesnt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-marceau/sometimes-you-choose-the-wrong-actor-he-could-be-the-best-actor-ever/) [Sophie Marceau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-marceau/) > [I am not impressed with what people own. But I’m impressed with what they achieve. I’m proud to be a physician. Always strive to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-j-stanley/i-am-not-impressed-with-what-people-own-but-i-m-impressed-with-what/) [Thomas J. Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-j-stanley/) > [You have to love your country like an adult loves somebody, not like a child loves its mommy. And right-wing Republicans tend to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/you-have-to-love-your-country-like-an-adult-loves-somebody-not-like-a/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [My role is to think about tennis and to help Serena Williams be the best she can be and do what she wants to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-mouratoglou/my-role-is-to-think-about-tennis-and-to-help-serena-williams-be-the/) [Patrick Mouratoglou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-mouratoglou/) > [One of my mom's best lines is... You're not training to be the best in the world, you're training to be the best in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronda-rousey/one-of-my-mom-s-best-lines-is-you-re-not-training-to-be-the-best-in/) [Ronda Rousey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronda-rousey/) > [I've learned a simple principle: all I have to do is be the best 'me' that I can be. 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