Quotes and sayings from famous and not-so famous Lehigh Valley people

Quotes from people often reveal some insight about them. Sometimes what they say becomes immortalized for all eternity and other times it may be just some nonsense that was blurted out at a given moment. The Lehigh Valley has had its share of well-known people from actors and actresses to professional athletes, authors and successful business people. Here are some sayings from a few recognizable names and from others you may never have heard of.

Former race car driver, Mario Andretti of Bushkill Township was one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport and one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR. He was winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 1969 and has also won races in midget cars, sprint cars and drag racing. Born in Italy in 1940, he moved to Nazareth at the age of fifteen. Mario is the father of Michael Andretti, a former race car driver and owner of Andretti Autosport, and grandfather of current race car driver Marco Andretti.

“Circumstances may cause interruptions and delays, but never lose sight of your goal.”
“Desire is the key to motivation, but its determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek.”
“Do it no matter what. If you believe in it, it is something very honorable. If somebody around you or your family does not understand it, then that's their problem. But if you do have a passion, an honest passion, just do it.”
“If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.”
“If you wait, all that happens is that you get older.”

Sage Karam of Nazareth is a wrestler for Nazareth High School and a race car driver. He is the son of Liberty High School wrestling coach, Jody Karam. Sage was recently re-signed by Andretti Autosport to compete in the Star Mazda Series. Last year he was named the series’ Rookie of the Year.

“Wrestling helps keep me in shape for racing, but it also teaches you life lessons that relate to the track. When a race is coming down to the final laps and the temperature is over 100 degrees in the cockpit, you really need to dig deep, just like you would in the third period of a bout.”
On knowing Michael Andretti, "Actually, I grew up right across the street from Michael, and we've been neighbors for a while. My dad became good friends with him and became his fitness trainer when Michael raced in Champ Car.”

Boxing great Larry Holmes, was the former Heavyweight Champion of the World; from 1978-1985 and an inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Holmes also nicknamed the Easton Assassin; moved to Easton at the age of 5. He attended Easton High School and now lives in neighboring Palmer Township.

“I think I have proven myself. I have proven that a fighter or any athlete does not have to come from a big city.”
“I came from a dirt farm, now I'm filthy rich.”
“One of the best ones out there was a guy named Howard Cosell. He was the best.”
“All fighters are prostitutes and all promoters are pimps.”

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, professional wrestler and actor. Played football, wrestled and participated in track and field at Bethlehem’s Freedom High School. He also played football at the University of Miami and was a member of the Hurricanes 1991 national championship team. “The Rock” is known as one of the world’s most popular wrestlers ever. He is the son of ex-professional wrestler Rocky Johnson and his uncles are ex-professional wrestlers, Sika and Afa Anoa'i, Sr. of the Wild Simoans fame.

“Hey Jabroni!”
“As athletes, we understand the importance of being a positive role model.”
“We do slapstick... steel chairs, garbage cans... and our guys live to fight another day.”
“Well since Rock's baby left him... He found a new place to dwell... It's down at the end of Jabroni Drive at... Smackdown Hotellalalalalaaaa!”

Ex-football great, Andre Reed was born in 1964 in Allentown. He graduated from Allentown's Dieruff High School where he played quarterback and then played his college ball as a wide-receiver at Kutztown University, where he set nine school receiving records. Andre played in the NFL for 16 years; 15 seasons with the Buffalo Bills and 1 year with the Washington Redskins. He was a 2012 NFL Hall of Fame Finalist but unfortunately was not nominated this time. Reed ranks near the top in nearly all NFL career statistical receiving categories. In his four Super Bowls, Reed recorded 27 receptions, the second most total career Super Bowl receptions in NFL history (behind Jerry Rice's 33). His 323 total Super Bowl receiving yards are the third most in Super Bowl history (behind only Rice's 604 yards and Lynn Swann's 364). Since his NFL retirement in 2000, Reed has provided football commentary on the ESPN2 show, First Take, and appears periodically as a football analyst on NFL on Fox. He has also appeared on the Spike TV sports series Pros vs. Joes in the show's second season. In addition Andre is active in his foundation The Andre Reed Foundation that was established in 2010 to help underprivileged children reach their full potential and become responsible contributors to their communities.

“A lot of players do a lot of things off the field that aren’t really documented, and you don’t know what they’re doing. I think it’s an obligation because you have a name, and you could use your name to make a difference in somebody’s life. That’s the way I look at it.”
On Tim Tebow, “He’s always been a legitimate threat. You just look at the way their offense is geared to his strengths… he’s not conventional, he’s not a drop-back passer.”
Also on Tebow, “The kid’s a winner; for every deficiency he has, he’s a winner. He did it in college and he’s doing it in the pros. Believing is 99.9 percent of what you’re doing, you gotta believe in what you’re doing and you gotta believe in your players.”

Former football player and Allentown resident Mike Guman, was born in Bethlehem in 1958. He was a graduate of Bethlehem Catholic High School where he was a Parade All-American; then a star player at Penn State, and a 9-year pro football player with the Los Angeles Rams. Mike is well remembered by college football fans for being on the receiving end of a goal line hit by University of Alabama linebacker Barry Krauss, in the Sugar Bowl on January 1, 1979, (ranked the Greatest Bowl Game Ever by ESPN in 2002) which determined the NCAA national champion. The hit was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated the following week, and the accompanying article reported the collision had knocked the rivets on Krauss' helmet loose.

Guman about the Alabama play, “Everything's never perfect. Life's too short, and it's a sport. It's not life or death. It's a sport. You can't relive it. You can't go do it again. It's over.”
Guman about Joe Paterno, “Joe's constantly trying to prepare you for life after football. One of my favorite sayings of his is, "It's not what happens to you in life that's important, but how you react to it." I try to think of that whenever I'm in a difficult situation.”

Lee Iacocca, is one of the most famous business people in the world. He served as a president for the Ford Motor Company, and president and chairman of the Chrysler Corporation. His uncle Theodore Iacocca, was the founder of Yocco’s Hot Dogs. Lee was born in Allentown in 1924. He graduated from Allen High School and then from Lehigh University in 1945.

“This is a sad day for me. It pains me to see my old company, which has meant so much to America, on the ropes. But Chrysler has been in trouble before, and we got through it, and I believe they can do it again.” (April 2009)
“Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course." Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. I'll give you a sound bite: Throw the bums out!” (May 2007)

Actress and former child model Amanda Seyfried was born in Allentown in 1985, and is a graduate of William Allen High School. She has had roles in As the World Turns, All My Children, Veronica Mars, and in the film Mamma Mia among others.

“I collect jeans. I don`t care how expensive they are."
“I was naturally skinny and had braces, so I wasn't a cute model. I never felt pretty but it was fun and I got a cool pay check to buy sweets with.”

Actress Christine Taylor was born in Allentown in 1971, and grew up in neighboring Wescosville. Christine graduated from Allentown Central Catholic High School and is married to actor Ben Stiller. She is best known for roles in Hey Dude, as Marcia Brady in the two Brady Bunch movies, Zoolander and Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.

On appearing as Phoebe's bald friend in Friends, “I looked like an alien, and in front of the most beautiful people on TV.”
About living in New York, “Being on the East Coast has been great because we've had the whole Allentown crew up to see us.”

Rich Lerner is a former sports director at Allentown's WFMZ-TV. He has been with the Golf Channel since 1997. Lerner earned a broadcasting degree from Temple University. As a local boy he practically grew up at the Berkleigh Country Club in Kutztown and won the club championship twice in the 1980s. Rich did the play-by-play for many Lehigh University football games along with Kim McQuilken and Marty Horn, both former Lehigh quarterbacks.

“I resolve to throw away or donate the dozens of golf hats in my closet that have no sentimental value, except of course my favorite, the one that says Larry’s Plumbing Supplies.”
“I love that at the British Open you don’t aim for trees but maybe a steeple in the neighboring town.”
“When Tiger turned professional, he teamed with an edgy sponsor to remind America that there were clubs he couldn’t play because of the color of his skin.”

Finally; this is from Nancy Barrett Kreider the wife of ex-football player Steve Kreider, who was born in 1958 in Reading. Steve played football at Lehigh University when they won an NCAA Division II national championship and is a member of the Lehigh Hall of Fame. He also played 8 years in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals. He played in the 1981 Super Bowl catching two passes.

When Nancy was once asked about the excitement surrounding the Super Bowl, she responded, "Well, it's impressive, but not so exciting as the Lehigh-Lafayette game."