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Motivation Quote by Lee Trevino

"I have an orthopedic pillow that's made out of a sponge material. I have a plate in my throat, and I have to be careful or I could end up with a bad neck in the morning. That pillow is a must everywhere I go"

About this Quote

Lee Trevino turns the glamorous mythology of pro sports inside out with a sentence that’s basically an itemized receipt for longevity. An “orthopedic pillow” doesn’t sound like victory; it sounds like the unsexy infrastructure that makes victory possible when your body has already paid the entry fee. The specificity is the point: “sponge material,” “plate in my throat,” “bad neck in the morning.” He’s not courting sympathy so much as insisting on the practical reality behind the highlight reel.

The subtext is a quiet rebuttal to the idea that elite athletes are built to withstand anything. Trevino is a legend from an era when toughness was a brand, and he still performs that toughness here, just in a different key. Instead of bragging about playing through pain, he’s bragging about risk management. The line “I have to be careful” lands like a punchline because it’s so domestic, so un-heroic, and yet it carries real stakes: one wrong night’s sleep and the body revolts. The “must everywhere I go” turns a pillow into travel gear on par with clubs or shoes, a reminder that aging and injury follow you more faithfully than fans do.

Context matters, too: golf is often sold as ageless, a sport you can play forever. Trevino undercuts that fantasy without melodrama. He’s not saying the game ends; he’s saying the terms change, and the future is negotiated one careful morning at a time.

Quote Details

TopicSelf-Care
SourceHelp us find the source
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Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Trevino, Lee. (2026, January 15). I have an orthopedic pillow that's made out of a sponge material. I have a plate in my throat, and I have to be careful or I could end up with a bad neck in the morning. That pillow is a must everywhere I go. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-have-an-orthopedic-pillow-thats-made-out-of-a-169006/

Chicago Style
Trevino, Lee. "I have an orthopedic pillow that's made out of a sponge material. I have a plate in my throat, and I have to be careful or I could end up with a bad neck in the morning. That pillow is a must everywhere I go." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-have-an-orthopedic-pillow-thats-made-out-of-a-169006/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I have an orthopedic pillow that's made out of a sponge material. I have a plate in my throat, and I have to be careful or I could end up with a bad neck in the morning. That pillow is a must everywhere I go." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-have-an-orthopedic-pillow-thats-made-out-of-a-169006/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

More Quotes by Lee Add to List
Orthopedic sponge pillow protects neck after throat plate
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About the Author

Lee Trevino

Lee Trevino (born December 1, 1939) is a Athlete from USA.

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