Football is a game of errors. The team that makes the fewest errors in a game usually wins.
—Paul Brown (1908–91) American Sportsperson
Football is, after all, a wonderful way to get rid of your aggressions without going to jail for it.
—Heywood Broun (1888–1939) American Journalist
Let’s win one for the Gipper.
—Knute Rockne (1888–1931) American College Football Coach
Football combines the two worst features of American life. It is violence punctuated by committee meetings.
—George Will (b.1941) American Columnist, Author, Commentator
In life, as in football, you won’t go far unless you know where the goalposts are.
—Arnold Glasow (1905–98) American Businessman
Some people try to find things in this game that don’t exist but football is only two things-blocking and tackling.
—Vince Lombardi, Jr. (b.1942) American Lawyer, Politician, Motivational Speaker
No star playing, just football.
—Knute Rockne (1888–1931) American College Football Coach
A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall.
—Vince Lombardi, Jr. (b.1942) American Lawyer, Politician, Motivational Speaker
Academy: A modern school where football is taught.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
NFL owners should quit worrying about silly things like players celebrating in the end zone. They should give them something to really celebrate. Get rid of the artificial surfaces.
—O. J. Simpson (1947–2024) American NFL Player, Broadcaster, Actor
When somebody tells you nothing is impossible, ask him to dribble a football.
—Unknown
Conventional wisdom notwithstanding, there is no reason either in football or in poetry why the two should not meet in a man’s life if he has the weight and cares about the words.
—Archibald MacLeish (1892–1982) American Poet, Dramatist
There’s nothing in this world that comes easy. There are a lot of people who aren’t going to bother to win. We learn in football to get up and go once more.
—Woody Hayes (1913–87) American Football Coach, Author
Sure, luck means a lot in football. Not having a good quarterback is bad luck.
—Don Shula (1930–2020) American Football Coach
Football doesn’t build character. It eliminates weak ones.
—Darrell Royal (1924–2012) American Football Player
People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society.
—Vince Lombardi, Jr. (b.1942) American Lawyer, Politician, Motivational Speaker
Politics is like football; if you see daylight, go through the hole.
—John F. Kennedy (1917–63) American Head of State, Journalist
Football is like life—it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.
—Vince Lombardi, Jr. (b.1942) American Lawyer, Politician, Motivational Speaker
People stress the violence. That’s the smallest part of it. Football is brutal only from a distance. In the middle of it there’s a calm, a tranquility. The players accept pain. There’s a sense of order even at the end of a running play with bodies strewn everywhere. When the systems interlock, there’s a satisfaction to the game that can’t be duplicated. There’s a harmony.
—Don DeLillo (b.1936) American Novelist, Short Story Writer
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