Rick’s life in, Playing for Pizza, is define by two words: humility and arrogance. He wants fame, but can’t have it. In high school and college, his level of popularity was incredibly high. But going to the NFL as a third-string quarterback, his popularity plummeted. When it plummeted, he started to become arrogant. Even after he blew the AFC Championship Game, he was extremely arrogant. It took Rick traveling to Italy and realizing that the game of football can be played without money involved. After being in Italy a while, he started to mature and gain some humility. Livvy, his girlfriend, helped tremendously in his “attitude adjustment.” The two words, humility and arrogance, can be found throughout the book and most of Rick’s actions are showing one or the other. At the end of the book, he has truly matured and shows it through his actions.