--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I needed football - it was just something…" description: "\"I needed football - it was just something to do, an excuse to not be at home.\" — Michael Sam" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/michael-sam-20718_excuse_i-needed-football-it-was-just-something_134746.jpg" --- # I needed football - it was just something to do, an excuse… ![“I needed football - it was just something to do, an excuse to not be at home.” quote by Michael Sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/michael-sam-20718_excuse_i-needed-football-it-was-just-something_134746.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/michael-sam-20718_excuse_i-needed-football-it-was-just-something_134746.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/michael-sam-20718_excuse_i-needed-football-it-was-just-something_134746.jpg) > “I needed football - it was just something to do, an excuse to not be at home.” [Michael Sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sam/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Football served as an escape and excuse to avoid home life, indicating a need for distraction or purpose outside the domestic sphere. **In simple terms:** Football was a distraction from home. Key Takeaway Find healthy outlets for stress and avoidance. Themes avoidance sports escape mental health identity Mood restless introspective Type personal psychological When to use this quote - personal leisure - stress relief Key Concepts coping mechanisms personal growth activity planning Questions to Reflect On - What drives the need to escape? - Are there healthier alternatives? A Different Perspective Escapism can mask underlying issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) ## Related quotes > [“Whatever you do, just find an excuse to win!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/navy-seal-drill-sergeant/whatever-you-do-just-find-an-excuse-to-win/) Navy SEAL Drill Sergeant > [“Sometimes history is just an excuse for incompetence at getting along with each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-voinov/sometimes-history-is-just-an-excuse-for-incompetence-at-getting-along/) [Aleksandr Voinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-voinov/) > [“But I’m not letting you off so easily. Did you hear something that I should know about?” “No,” I say, suddenly feeling more self-conscious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-faria-stolarz/but-i-m-not-letting-you-off-so-easily-did-you-hear-something-that-i/) [Laurie Faria Stolarz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-faria-stolarz/) > [Cynicism is just an excuse for not helping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/cynicism-is-just-an-excuse-for-not-helping/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [The beauty is in finding, not in what you find ; that is just an excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-beauty-is-in-finding-not-in-what-you-find-that-is-just-an-excuse/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [You cant just 'steal' anyone from anybody...They were probably already prepared to leave, you're just the excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-cant-just-steal-anyone-from-anybody-they-were-probably-already/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In the end, photography for me is just an excuse to get to know the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graciela-iturbide/in-the-end-photography-for-me-is-just-an-excuse-to-get-to-know-the/) [Graciela Iturbide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graciela-iturbide/) > [The truth is just an excuse for lack of imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/the-truth-is-just-an-excuse-for-lack-of-imagination/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [Being in a rock band is just an excuse not to get a job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/being-in-a-rock-band-is-just-an-excuse-not-to-get-a-job/) [Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/) > [“If they want to come for you, they will come, and it doesn't matter what you read or what you failed to read. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-thien/if-they-want-to-come-for-you-they-will-come-and-it-doesn-t-matter/) [Madeleine Thien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-thien/) > [Love is just an excuse to getting hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-just-an-excuse-to-getting-hurt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Tomorrow is just an excuse away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smashing-pumpkins/tomorrow-is-just-an-excuse-away/) [Smashing Pumpkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smashing-pumpkins/) > [“There are only do and don’t; can or can’t is just an excuse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/there-are-only-do-and-don-t-can-or-can-t-is-just-an-excuse/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Taking your life is just an excuse to run away from your problems. Permanently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/taking-your-life-is-just-an-excuse-to-run-away-from-your-problems/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can't steal anyone from anybody, they were already prepared to leave, you're just the excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-t-steal-anyone-from-anybody-they-were-already-prepared-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Michael Sam > [I wish you guys would just say, 'Michael Sam, how's the football going? How's training going?' But it is what it is. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sam/i-wish-you-guys-would-just-say-michael-sam-how-s-the-football-going/) [Michael Sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sam/) > [If I want to kiss my boyfriend, I'm gonna kiss him. If they want to film it, that's their problem. Don't be mad at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sam/if-i-want-to-kiss-my-boyfriend-i-m-gonna-kiss-him-if-they-want-to/) [Michael Sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sam/) > [My family was very notorious in the town that we lived in. Everyone would say, 'There goes those damn Sams.' I didn't want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sam/my-family-was-very-notorious-in-the-town-that-we-lived-in-everyone/) [Michael Sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sam/) > [I just want to know if I'm truly not in the NFL, it's because of talent. Let it be because of my talents. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sam/i-just-want-to-know-if-i-m-truly-not-in-the-nfl-it-s-because-of/) [Michael Sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sam/) > [It has all happened so quickly, but it's exciting, I just wanna get back to playing football you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sam/it-has-all-happened-so-quickly-but-it-s-exciting-i-just-wanna-get/) [Michael Sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sam/) > [I just want to make sure I could tell my story the way I want to tell it. 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I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sam/i-m-not-afraid-to-tell-the-world-who-i-am-i-m-michael-sam-i-m-a/) [Michael Sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sam/) > [Great things happen when you have the courage to be yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sam/great-things-happen-when-you-have-the-courage-to-be-yourself/) [Michael Sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sam/) > [I am an openly proud gay man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sam/i-am-an-openly-proud-gay-man/) [Michael Sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sam/) > [The most worthwhile things in life rarely come easy, this is a lesson I've always known. The journey continues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sam/the-most-worthwhile-things-in-life-rarely-come-easy-this-is-a-lesson/) [Michael Sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sam/) > [A straight person doesn't have to go in the media and tell them that they're straight, and I don't think a gay person should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sam/a-straight-person-doesn-t-have-to-go-in-the-media-and-tell-them-that/) [Michael Sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sam/) > [To anyone out there especially young people feeling like they don't fit in and will never be accepted, please know this, great things can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sam/to-anyone-out-there-especially-young-people-feeling-like-they-don-t/) [Michael Sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sam/) [Explore all 30 Michael Sam quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sam/) ## More Excuse quotes > [The greatest act of courage is to be and to ownall of who you are—without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-greatest-act-of-courage-is-to-be-and-to-ownall-of-who-you-are/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [My non-career. My excuse for a career? Honestly, I never think about the word 'career.' I've had managers, the minute they say it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/my-non-career-my-excuse-for-a-career-honestly-i-never-think-about-the/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [International friendly games are not worth the lives of the silk worms who perish to make the pennants. They do not even have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-baker/international-friendly-games-are-not-worth-the-lives-of-the-silk/) [Danny Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-baker/) > [Win without boasting. Lose without excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-payson-terhune/win-without-boasting-lose-without-excuse/) [Albert Payson Terhune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-payson-terhune/) > [And the commitment that I've been giving to the Australian people is that there'll be no surprises and no excuses under a Coalition government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/and-the-commitment-that-i-ve-been-giving-to-the-australian-people-is/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [Dont leave without a reason, and then try to come back with an excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-leave-without-a-reason-and-then-try-to-come-back-with-an-excuse/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Using, as an excuse, others' failure of common sense is in itself a failure of common sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/using-as-an-excuse-others-failure-of-common-sense-is-in-itself-a/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [I resolutely believe that respect for diversity is a fundamental pillar in the eradication of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. There is no excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/i-resolutely-believe-that-respect-for-diversity-is-a-fundamental/) [Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/) > [I'm not the guy who will sit in a room with somebody who's using a bunch of big words and just act like I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-wahlberg/i-m-not-the-guy-who-will-sit-in-a-room-with-somebody-who-s-using-a/) [Mark Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-wahlberg/) > [Worst Break Up Excuse; 'You deserve so much better.' Translation: They've already moved on whether you like it or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/worst-break-up-excuse-you-deserve-so-much-better-translation-they-ve/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A lie is an excuse guarded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/a-lie-is-an-excuse-guarded/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [Live with No Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyanendra/live-with-no-excuse/) [Gyanendra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyanendra/) Browse all 2,435 Excuse quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I needed football - it was just something to do, an excuse to not be at home.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Sam" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sam/i-needed-football-it-was-just-something-to-do-an-excuse-to-not-be-at/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Excuse" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sam/i-needed-football-it-was-just-something-to-do-an-excuse-to-not-be-at/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/michael-sam-20718_excuse_i-needed-football-it-was-just-something_134746.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/michael-sam-20718_excuse_i-needed-football-it-was-just-something_134746.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/michael-sam-20718_excuse_i-needed-football-it-was-just-something_134746.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I needed football - it was just something to do, an excuse to not be at home.” — Michael Sam", "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": "Michael Sam", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sam/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I needed football - it was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sam/i-needed-football-it-was-just-something-to-do-an-excuse-to-not-be-at/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sam/i-needed-football-it-was-just-something-to-do-an-excuse-to-not-be-at/#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 } } ] } ```