---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Maybe his big build isn't a linebacker's…"
description: "\"“Maybe his big build isn't a linebacker's after all; maybe it's a librarian's.”\" — Robin Sloan"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/853/robin-sloan-1513_engineering_maybe-his-big-build-isn-t-a-linebacker-s_738078.png"
---

#  Maybe his big build isn't a linebacker's after all; maybe…

![“Maybe his big build isn't a linebacker's after all; maybe it's a librarian's.” quote by Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/853/robin-sloan-1513_engineering_maybe-his-big-build-isn-t-a-linebacker-s_738078.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/853/robin-sloan-1513_engineering_maybe-his-big-build-isn-t-a-linebacker-s_738078.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/853/robin-sloan-1513_engineering_maybe-his-big-build-isn-t-a-linebacker-s_738078.png)

> ““Maybe his big build isn't a linebacker's after all; maybe it's a librarian's.””

[Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A seemingly strong build may actually be more suited to a quiet, intellectual role, challenging stereotypes about physical appearance and ability.

**In simple terms:** Strength can be hidden in unexpected forms.

Key Takeaway

Recognize diverse talents.

Themes

identity stereotypes strength

Mood

thoughtful challenging

Type

analytical inspirational

When to use this quote

- career advice
- personal development
- team building

Key Concepts

social expectations role reversal

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you judge abilities based on looks?
- What hidden strengths do you overlook?

A Different Perspective

Physical appearance does not dictate capability.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Isn Linebacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isn-linebacker-5767929/) [Linebacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/linebacker/) [Linebacker Maybe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/linebacker-maybe-5767928/) [Maybe Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maybe-big-3288951/) [Maybe Librarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maybe-librarian-2863655/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/)

## Related quotes

> [“Everyone loved a good reader. And he'd always loved being a great reader - until recently. Maybe it was just part of getting older,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-sansom/everyone-loved-a-good-reader-and-he-d-always-loved-being-a-great/)

[Ian Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-sansom/)

> [I wondered if my smile was as big as hers. Maybe as big. But not as beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/i-wondered-if-my-smile-was-as-big-as-hers-maybe-as-big-but-not-as/)

[Benjamin Alire Saenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/)

> [You would think that anyone on a major label would be doing something, but when you speak of major label that means something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bowie/you-would-think-that-anyone-on-a-major-label-would-be-doing-something/)

[Lester Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bowie/)

> [“Maybe when your big picture is in place, all those bumps in the road along the way get sort of smoothed over.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dalton/maybe-when-your-big-picture-is-in-place-all-those-bumps-in-the-road/)

[Michelle Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dalton/)

> [There is no medicine maybe for everything, but there is a big medicine which is downforce in an F1 car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kubica/there-is-no-medicine-maybe-for-everything-but-there-is-a-big-medicine/)

[Robert Kubica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kubica/)

> [It's not easy to be stylish as a linebacker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-evans/it-s-not-easy-to-be-stylish-as-a-linebacker/)

[Sean Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-evans/)

> [“I’m big as a linebacker, and a seven-year-old girl treats me like her errand boy. Does she smell weakness on me?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennifer-choldenko/i-m-big-as-a-linebacker-and-a-seven-year-old-girl-treats-me-like-her/)

[Gennifer Choldenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennifer-choldenko/)

> [Linebacker is a lot more detail oriented and you have to know a lot more than a defensive end necessarily would on any given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cole/linebacker-is-a-lot-more-detail-oriented-and-you-have-to-know-a-lot/)

[Justin Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cole/)

> [I'm a big guy: I look like a linebacker, you know? But no one cares, really, that I'm educated. I have a copy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tyree-henry/i-m-a-big-guy-i-look-like-a-linebacker-you-know-but-no-one-cares/)

[Brian Tyree Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tyree-henry/)

> [Nobody talks about Shaq Thompson. I don't know what he is. He's like a nickel corner/linebacker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gruden/nobody-talks-about-shaq-thompson-i-don-t-know-what-he-is-he-s-like-a/)

[Jon Gruden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gruden/)

> [My body size and everything was perfect for being a heavyweight wrestler rather than being a linebacker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cain-velasquez/my-body-size-and-everything-was-perfect-for-being-a-heavyweight/)

[Cain Velasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cain-velasquez/)

> [It would be fun if I were 40 pounds heavier and a little bit faster to get in and play some linebacker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-vinatieri/it-would-be-fun-if-i-were-40-pounds-heavier-and-a-little-bit-faster/)

[Adam Vinatieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-vinatieri/)

> [The defining moment of my life came... when I trotted onto the field wearing a purple jersey No. 46, shoulder pads meant for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morten-andersen/the-defining-moment-of-my-life-came-when-i-trotted-onto-the-field/)

[Morten Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morten-andersen/)

> [It really doesn't matter to me whether it's defensive end or linebacker. I just want to play the game of football. I've been working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaines-adams/it-really-doesn-t-matter-to-me-whether-it-s-defensive-end-or/)

[Gaines Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaines-adams/)

> [Ray Lewis, I've grown up watching Ray Lewis. Just watching his intensity, his passion for the game, his love for the game, his work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manti-te-o/ray-lewis-i-ve-grown-up-watching-ray-lewis-just-watching-his/)

[Manti Te'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manti-te-o/)

## More by Robin Sloan

> [“But it will make mistakes," she says. "Hadoop will probably get us from a hundred thousand buildings down to, like, five thousand." "So we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/but-it-will-make-mistakes-she-says-hadoop-will-probably-get-us-from-a/)

[Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/)

> [You can go as far back as fifth grade, and you will find me tinkering with media and computers, making things that are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/you-can-go-as-far-back-as-fifth-grade-and-you-will-find-me-tinkering/)

[Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/)

> [He has the strangest expression on his face- the emotional equivalent of 404 PAGE NOT FOUND.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/he-has-the-strangest-expression-on-his-face-the-emotional-equivalent/)

[Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/)

> [“Baking, by contrast, was solving the same problem over and over again, because every time, the solution was consumed. I mean, really: chewed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/baking-by-contrast-was-solving-the-same-problem-over-and-over-again/)

[Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/)

> [“I tell him, and I write it down as I go. It makes me feel better, as if the weirdness is flowing out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/i-tell-him-and-i-write-it-down-as-i-go-it-makes-me-feel-better-as-if/)

[Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/)

> [There's just no escaping it: The half-life of media on the Internet is super short. Tweets flow and fade; pages that look great today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/there-s-just-no-escaping-it-the-half-life-of-media-on-the-internet-is/)

[Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/)

> [Imagination runs out. But it makes sense, right? We probably just imagine things based on what we already know, and we run out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/imagination-runs-out-but-it-makes-sense-right-we-probably-just/)

[Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/)

> [“My limbic system has grown accustomed to a certain (very low) level of human (female) contact. With her standing right next to me, her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/my-limbic-system-has-grown-accustomed-to-a-certain-very-low-level-of/)

[Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/)

> [“The shelves were packed close together, and it felt like I was standing at the border of a forest--not a friendly Californian forest, either,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/the-shelves-were-packed-close-together-and-it-felt-like-i-was/)

[Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/)

> [“How was New York?' Ashley asks politely. I'm not sure how to respond. Something like: Well, the mustachioed master of the secret library is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/how-was-new-york-ashley-asks-politely-i-m-not-sure-how-to-respond/)

[Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/)

> [We range widely, we readers of fiction, but I think we all need a home. Mine is science fiction. It's my home shelf, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/we-range-widely-we-readers-of-fiction-but-i-think-we-all-need-a-home/)

[Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/)

> [“Neel cuts in: "Where'd you grow up?" "Palo Alto," she says. From there to Stanford to Google: for a girl obsessed with the outer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/neel-cuts-in-where-d-you-grow-up-palo-alto-she-says-from-there-to/)

[Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/)

> [Doing research for 'Penumbra,' I read quite a bit about the early history of printing, and the more I did, the more it sounded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/doing-research-for-penumbra-i-read-quite-a-bit-about-the-early/)

[Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/)

> [“History hinges on such small things. A difference of thirty degrees, and this story would end here.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/history-hinges-on-such-small-things-a-difference-of-thirty-degrees/)

[Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/)

> [“It is very quiet. I set my chin into my palm and count my friends and wonder what else is hiding in plain sight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/it-is-very-quiet-i-set-my-chin-into-my-palm-and-count-my-friends-and/)

[Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/)

[Explore all 227 Robin Sloan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/)

## More Engineering quotes

> [The bones of my architecture are very much related to the structure, to the physical fact of how a building can stand up; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-bones-of-my-architecture-are-very-much-related-to-the-structure/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [“Nothing is easier than yesterday's solutions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-sperry/nothing-is-easier-than-yesterday-s-solutions/)

[Roger Sperry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-sperry/)

> [Design is not making beauty, beauty emerges from selection, affinities, integration, love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-kahn/design-is-not-making-beauty-beauty-emerges-from-selection-affinities/)

[Louis Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-kahn/)

> [Batley and Spen has a high proportion of people working in manufacturing, and we can boast the full range of industries, including high-skilled, precision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/batley-and-spen-has-a-high-proportion-of-people-working-in/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [I design some of my own clothes now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiernan-shipka/i-design-some-of-my-own-clothes-now/)

[Kiernan Shipka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiernan-shipka/)

> [Design is a very personal thing. It's like art. Your personal choice plays a big role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gauri-khan/design-is-a-very-personal-thing-it-s-like-art-your-personal-choice/)

[Gauri Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gauri-khan/)

> [Worship isn't destructive, Martin. I know that. I don't. I only know it's the core of his life. What else has he got? He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-shaffer/worship-isn-t-destructive-martin-i-know-that-i-don-t-i-only-know-it-s/)

[Peter Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-shaffer/)

> [ Leave a cavity behind the \[wall\] facings, and on the inside build walls two feet thick, made of red dimension stone or burnt brick… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/leave-a-cavity-behind-the-wall-facings-and-on-the-inside-build-walls/)

[Marcus Vitruvius Pollio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/)

> [Our guiding principle was that design is neither an intellectual nor a material affair, but simply an integral part of the stuff of life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gropius/our-guiding-principle-was-that-design-is-neither-an-intellectual-nor/)

[Walter Gropius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gropius/)

> [Design certainly has a cosmetic, aesthetic aim. It always aims at making things beautiful. But relevance is just as important. I often say, 'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-behar/design-certainly-has-a-cosmetic-aesthetic-aim-it-always-aims-at/)

[Yves Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-behar/)

> [I think the ethics and morals of genetic engineering are very complicated. It intrigues me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spottiswoode/i-think-the-ethics-and-morals-of-genetic-engineering-are-very/)

[Roger Spottiswoode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spottiswoode/)

> [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/)

[Curtis W. Fentress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-w-fentress/)

> [My objective is to design a space that nobody else can come up with while using the material that anyone can use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tadao-ando/my-objective-is-to-design-a-space-that-nobody-else-can-come-up-with/)

[Tadao Ando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tadao-ando/)

> [Man's endeavour to cross even the most difficult terrain with railway lines has produced some of the most stunning marvels of engineering of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prashant-bhushan/man-s-endeavour-to-cross-even-the-most-difficult-terrain-with-railway/)

[Prashant Bhushan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prashant-bhushan/)

> [Of course design is about problem solving, but I cannot resist adding something personal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-crouwel/of-course-design-is-about-problem-solving-but-i-cannot-resist-adding/)

[Wim Crouwel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-crouwel/)

[Browse all 3,003 Engineering quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Maybe his big build isn't a linebacker's after all; maybe it's a librarian's.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robin Sloan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/maybe-his-big-build-isn-t-a-linebacker-s-after-all-maybe-it-s-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Engineering"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/maybe-his-big-build-isn-t-a-linebacker-s-after-all-maybe-it-s-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/853/robin-sloan-1513_engineering_maybe-his-big-build-isn-t-a-linebacker-s_738078.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/853/robin-sloan-1513_engineering_maybe-his-big-build-isn-t-a-linebacker-s_738078.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/853/robin-sloan-1513_engineering_maybe-his-big-build-isn-t-a-linebacker-s_738078.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Maybe his big build isn't a linebacker's after all; maybe it's a librarian's.” — Robin Sloan",
                "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": "Robin Sloan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Maybe his big build isn't a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/maybe-his-big-build-isn-t-a-linebacker-s-after-all-maybe-it-s-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/maybe-his-big-build-isn-t-a-linebacker-s-after-all-maybe-it-s-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
