--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not a mean player. You'll notice I…" description: "\"I'm not a mean player. You'll notice I never pick on a player who has a number above 30.\" — Mike Ditka" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6d/mike-ditka-8426_football_i-m-not-a-mean-player-you-ll-notice-i-ne_2794375.jpg" --- # I'm not a mean player. You'll notice I never pick on a… ![“I'm not a mean player. You'll notice I never pick on a player who has a number above 30.” quote by Mike Ditka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6d/mike-ditka-8426_football_i-m-not-a-mean-player-you-ll-notice-i-ne_2794375.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6d/mike-ditka-8426_football_i-m-not-a-mean-player-you-ll-notice-i-ne_2794375.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6d/mike-ditka-8426_football_i-m-not-a-mean-player-you-ll-notice-i-ne_2794375.jpg) > “I'm not a mean player. You'll notice I never pick on a player who has a number above 30.” [Mike Ditka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ditka/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He refuses to target older players, implying fairness based on age. **In simple terms:** Avoid targeting older players. Key Takeaway Play fairly regardless of age. Themes fairness sports age bias Mood thoughtful fair Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - team selection - game strategy - player mentorship Key Concepts team dynamics sportsmanship ageism Questions to Reflect On - Should skill outweigh age in decisions? - How to balance experience with youth? A Different Perspective Age is not the only factor in performance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) ## Related quotes > [I mean, every player is hurt every year, so that's not really an excuse for everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amari-cooper/i-mean-every-player-is-hurt-every-year-so-that-s-not-really-an-excuse/) [Amari Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amari-cooper/) > [If the veteran only has a year or two left on his contract, teams are hesitant to trade a draft pick for a player…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-hurney/if-the-veteran-only-has-a-year-or-two-left-on-his-contract-teams-are/) Marty Hurney > [The only reason people are saying I'm the number-one player is because I'm with the number-one team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moses-malone/the-only-reason-people-are-saying-i-m-the-number-one-player-is/) [Moses Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moses-malone/) > [Well, for me, I don't need validation from no one to tell me what type of player I am or number to tell me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-jones/well-for-me-i-don-t-need-validation-from-no-one-to-tell-me-what-type/) [Julio Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-jones/) > [I'm just like the rest of the guys. 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Throw yourself at a player and they'll throw you away after they use you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/don-t-throw-yourself-at-someone-just-because-they-look-good-throw/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [Whatever I can do to help me be a better player, I'll do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-pierre-paul/whatever-i-can-do-to-help-me-be-a-better-player-i-ll-do-it/) [Jason Pierre-Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-pierre-paul/) > [If you throw yourself at a player they'll use you for everything you've got and throw you away like you're nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/if-you-throw-yourself-at-a-player-they-ll-use-you-for-everything-you/) [SONYA PARKER](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [I'd like to play as long as I'm healthy but I won't be a part-time player. 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I can assure you that the results will still be the same.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sourav-ganguly/pick-any-player-of-the-world-make-him-the-captain-of-india-i-can/) [Sourav Ganguly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sourav-ganguly/) > [When you lose, people don't understand why you play this way or don't pick that player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-mancini/when-you-lose-people-don-t-understand-why-you-play-this-way-or-don-t/) [Roberto Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-mancini/) > [If a whole team doesn't perform, you cannot pick one player especially and say, 'He doesn't do this or do that.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georginio-wijnaldum/if-a-whole-team-doesn-t-perform-you-cannot-pick-one-player-especially/) [Georginio Wijnaldum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georginio-wijnaldum/) > [If you ask footballers to pick out the player they most admire, so many of them will pick Paul Scholes. His passing and shooting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-shearer/if-you-ask-footballers-to-pick-out-the-player-they-most-admire-so/) [Alan Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-shearer/) > [If you don't play, then don't pick up a paycheck. Competition is why you play the game. I understand they've already reached some goals.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ditka/if-you-don-t-play-then-don-t-pick-up-a-paycheck-competition-is-why/) [Mike Ditka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ditka/) ## More by Mike Ditka > [Well, after I had the heart attack, it was a very simple choice. What the doctor told me I did and I did it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ditka/well-after-i-had-the-heart-attack-it-was-a-very-simple-choice-what/) [Mike Ditka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ditka/) > [I do some weights and I do a lot of stretching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ditka/i-do-some-weights-and-i-do-a-lot-of-stretching/) [Mike Ditka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ditka/) > [I think it's important to stretch as you get older, but I try to do basically all the things I did when I played,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ditka/i-think-it-s-important-to-stretch-as-you-get-older-but-i-try-to-do/) [Mike Ditka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ditka/) > [“If God wanted us to play soccer, he would've given only 1 in 11 people arms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ditka/if-god-wanted-us-to-play-soccer-he-would-ve-given-only-1-in-11-people/) [Mike Ditka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ditka/) > [If you don't play, then don't pick up a paycheck. Competition is why you play the game. I understand they've already reached some goals.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ditka/if-you-don-t-play-then-don-t-pick-up-a-paycheck-competition-is-why/) [Mike Ditka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ditka/) > [You got to sue the offensive line for non-support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ditka/you-got-to-sue-the-offensive-line-for-non-support/) [Mike Ditka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ditka/) > [“You never really lose until you quit trying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ditka/you-never-really-lose-until-you-quit-trying/) [Mike Ditka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ditka/) > [I don't believe in living in the past. Living in the past is for cowards. If you live in the past, you die in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ditka/i-don-t-believe-in-living-in-the-past-living-in-the-past-is-for/) [Mike Ditka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ditka/) > [I don't think anything is unrealistic if you believe you can do it. I think if you are determined enough and willing to pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ditka/i-don-t-think-anything-is-unrealistic-if-you-believe-you-can-do-it-i/) [Mike Ditka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ditka/) > [Just because you liked something as a youngster doesn't mean you have to like it as an adult. You can change your taste a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ditka/just-because-you-liked-something-as-a-youngster-doesn-t-mean-you-have/) [Mike Ditka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ditka/) > [Coffee, It's the life blood that fuels the dreams of champions!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ditka/coffee-it-s-the-life-blood-that-fuels-the-dreams-of-champions/) [Mike Ditka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ditka/) > [What you feel spiritually. I think a lot of that has to do with it. If you have no spiritual life, chances are everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ditka/what-you-feel-spiritually-i-think-a-lot-of-that-has-to-do-with-it-if/) [Mike Ditka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ditka/) > [The shoulder surgery was a success. The lobotomy failed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ditka/the-shoulder-surgery-was-a-success-the-lobotomy-failed/) [Mike Ditka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ditka/) > [Jesus's first temptation was to be relevant: to turn stones into bread. Oh, how often I wished I could do that!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ditka/jesus-s-first-temptation-was-to-be-relevant-to-turn-stones-into-bread/) [Mike Ditka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ditka/) > [Losers quit when they're tired. Winners quit when they've won.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ditka/losers-quit-when-they-re-tired-winners-quit-when-they-ve-won/) [Mike Ditka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ditka/) [Explore all 80 Mike Ditka quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ditka/) ## More Football quotes > [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. 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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": "I'm not a mean player. 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