Just in time for the bowl season and championship playoff, here are some great quotes captured over the decades from college coaches and players. Enjoy!
"Gentlemen, it is better to have died a small boy than to fumble the football." ~ John Heisman
"I make my practices real hard because if a player is a quitter, I want him to quit in practice, not in a game." ~ Bear Bryant, Alabama
"It isn't necessary to see a good tackle, you can hear it!" ~ Knute Rockne, Notre Dame
"At Georgia Southern, we don't cheat. That costs money, and we don't have any." ~ Erk Russell, Georgia Southern
"The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it." ~Lou Holtz, Arkansas & Norte Dame
"When you win, nothing hurts." ~ Joe Namath, Alabama
"Motivation is simple. You eliminate those who are not motivated." ~ Lou Holtz, Arkansas & Norte Dame
"A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall." ~ Frank Leahy, Notre Dame
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you." ~ Woody Hayes, Ohio State
"I don't expect to win enough games to be put on NCAA probation. I just want to win enough to warrant an investigation." ~ Bob Devaney, Nebraska
"In Alabama, an atheist is someone who doesn't believe in Bear Bryant." ~ Wally Butts, Georgia
"I never graduated from Iowa. I was only there for two terms—Truman's and Eisenhower's." ~ Alex Karras, Iowa
"My advice to defensive players is to take the shortest route to the ball, and arrive in bad humor." ~ Bowden Wyatt, Tennessee
"I could have been a Rhodes Scholar except for my grades." ~ Duffy Daugherty, Michigan State
"Always remember Goliath was a 40 point favorite over David." ~ Shug Jordan, Auburn
"They cut us up like boarding house pie, and that's real small pieces." ~ Darrell Royal, Texas
"I asked Darrell Royal, the coach of the Texas Longhorns, why he didn't recruit me. He said, ‘Well, Walt, we took a look at you, and you weren't
any good.’" ~ Walt Garrison, Oklahoma State
"Son, you've got a good engine, but your hands aren't on the steering wheel." ~ Bobby Bowden, Florida State
"Football is NOT a contact sport, it is a collision sport. Dancing IS a contact sport." ~ Duffy Daugherty, Michigan State
After USC lost 51-0 to Notre Dame, his post-game message to his team was, "All those who need showers, take them." ~ John McKay, USC
"If lessons are learned in defeat, our team is getting a great education." ~ Murray Warmath, Minnesota
"The only qualifications for a lineman are to be big and dumb. To be a back, you only have to be dumb." ~ Knute Rockne, Notre Dame
"Oh, we played about like three tons of buzzard puke this afternoon." ~ Spike Dykes, Texas Tech
"We didn't tackle well today, but we made up for it by not blocking." ~ John McKay, USC
"Gentlemen, it is better to have died a small boy than to fumble the football." ~ John Heisman
"I make my practices real hard because if a player is a quitter, I want him to quit in practice, not in a game." ~ Bear Bryant, Alabama
"It isn't necessary to see a good tackle, you can hear it!" ~ Knute Rockne, Notre Dame
"At Georgia Southern, we don't cheat. That costs money, and we don't have any." ~ Erk Russell, Georgia Southern
"The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it." ~Lou Holtz, Arkansas & Norte Dame
"When you win, nothing hurts." ~ Joe Namath, Alabama
"Motivation is simple. You eliminate those who are not motivated." ~ Lou Holtz, Arkansas & Norte Dame
"A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall." ~ Frank Leahy, Notre Dame
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you." ~ Woody Hayes, Ohio State
"I don't expect to win enough games to be put on NCAA probation. I just want to win enough to warrant an investigation." ~ Bob Devaney, Nebraska
"In Alabama, an atheist is someone who doesn't believe in Bear Bryant." ~ Wally Butts, Georgia
"I never graduated from Iowa. I was only there for two terms—Truman's and Eisenhower's." ~ Alex Karras, Iowa
"My advice to defensive players is to take the shortest route to the ball, and arrive in bad humor." ~ Bowden Wyatt, Tennessee
"I could have been a Rhodes Scholar except for my grades." ~ Duffy Daugherty, Michigan State
"Always remember Goliath was a 40 point favorite over David." ~ Shug Jordan, Auburn
"They cut us up like boarding house pie, and that's real small pieces." ~ Darrell Royal, Texas
"I asked Darrell Royal, the coach of the Texas Longhorns, why he didn't recruit me. He said, ‘Well, Walt, we took a look at you, and you weren't
any good.’" ~ Walt Garrison, Oklahoma State
"Son, you've got a good engine, but your hands aren't on the steering wheel." ~ Bobby Bowden, Florida State
"Football is NOT a contact sport, it is a collision sport. Dancing IS a contact sport." ~ Duffy Daugherty, Michigan State
After USC lost 51-0 to Notre Dame, his post-game message to his team was, "All those who need showers, take them." ~ John McKay, USC
"If lessons are learned in defeat, our team is getting a great education." ~ Murray Warmath, Minnesota
"The only qualifications for a lineman are to be big and dumb. To be a back, you only have to be dumb." ~ Knute Rockne, Notre Dame
"Oh, we played about like three tons of buzzard puke this afternoon." ~ Spike Dykes, Texas Tech
"We didn't tackle well today, but we made up for it by not blocking." ~ John McKay, USC
