30+ Football Quotes for Game Day Inspiration

Whether your mantra is Hotty Toddy, Geaux Tigers, or Role Tide, you’re bound to enjoy these inspirational football quotes.

High School Football Game circa 1939
Photo: Ivan Dmitri/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

In the South we have four seasons: spring, summer, winter, and football. It's no secret that Southern folks love their football. As soon the weather starts to cool, we break out our team jerseys and go-to game day recipes. Whether your mantra is Hotty Toddy, Geaux Tigers, or Role Tide, you're bound to enjoy these inspirational football quotes. We searched high and low to find the football quotes that are sure to excite you long before kickoff. Players, coaches, and fans alike come together in this collection of quotes to share some wisdom about the beloved game. Some allude to the importance of hard work, while others speak about simply leaving everything they have on the field. Some of the most famous football quotes in this group focus on the depth of the game. They argue it's more than tossing around the pigskin. Read through these quotes and sayings for the ultimate game day motivation.

01 of 31

Tom Landry

“Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence. If you’re in control, they’re in control.” –Tom Landry
“Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence. If you’re in control, they’re in control.” –Tom Landry. Southern Living

"Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence. If you're in control, they're in control." –Tom Landry

02 of 31

Joe Paterno

“You have to perform at a consistently higher level than others. That’s the mark of a true professional.” –Joe Paterno
“You have to perform at a consistently higher level than others. That’s the mark of a true professional.” –Joe Paterno. Southern Living

"You have to perform at a consistently higher level than others. That's the mark of a true professional." –Joe Paterno

03 of 31

Vince Lombardi

“Football is like life. It requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and respect for authority.” –Vince Lombardi
“Football is like life. It requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and respect for authority.” –Vince Lombardi. Southern Living

"Football is like life. It requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and respect for authority." Vince Lombardi

04 of 31

Mike Ditka

“Success isn’t measured by money or power or social rank. Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace.” –Mike Ditka
“Success isn’t measured by money or power or social rank. Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace.” –Mike Ditka. Southern Living

"Success isn't measured by money or power or social rank. Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace." –Mike Ditka

05 of 31

Lou Holtz

"Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” –Lou Holtz
"Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” –Lou Holtz. Southern Living

"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it." –Lou Holtz

06 of 31

John Madden

“Self-praise is for losers. Be a winner. Stand for something. Always have class, and be humble.” –John Madden
“Self-praise is for losers. Be a winner. Stand for something. Always have class, and be humble.” –John Madden. Southern Living

"Self-praise is for losers. Be a winner. Stand for something. Always have class, and be humble." –John Madden

07 of 31

Vince Lombardi

“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.” –Vince Lombardi
“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.” –Vince Lombardi. Southern Living

"The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary." –Vince Lombardi

08 of 31

Lou Holtz

“No one ever drowned in sweat.” –Lou Holtz
“No one ever drowned in sweat.” –Lou Holtz. Southern Living

"No one ever drowned in sweat." Lou Holtz

09 of 31

Ray Lewis

“No matter the circumstances you may be going through, just push through it.” –Ray Lewis
“No matter the circumstances you may be going through, just push through it.” –Ray Lewis. Southern Living

"No matter the circumstances you may be going through, just push through it." Ray Lewis

10 of 31

George S. Halas

“Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.” –George S. Halas
“Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.” –George S. Halas. Southern Living

"Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it." –George S. Halas

11 of 31

Archie Griffin

“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size in the fight of the dog.” –Archie Griffin
“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size in the fight of the dog.” – Archie Griffin. Southern Living

"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size in the fight of the dog." – Archie Griffin

12 of 31

Terry Bradshaw

“When you’ve got something to prove, there’s nothing greater than a challenge.” –Terry Bradshaw
“When you’ve got something to prove, there’s nothing greater than a challenge.” –Terry Bradshaw. Southern Living

"When you've got something to prove, there's nothing greater than a challenge." –Terry Bradshaw

13 of 31

Vince Lombardi

“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.” –Vince Lombardi
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.” –Vince Lombardi. Southern Living

"It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get back up." –Vince Lombardi

14 of 31

Adrian Peterson

“When you don’t give up, you cannot fail.” –Adrian Peterson
Southern Living Football Quotes. “When you don’t give up, you cannot fail.” –Adrian Peterson

"When you don't give up, you cannot fail." –Adrian Peterson

15 of 31

Urban Meyer

"I have yet to be in a game where luck was involved." –Urban Meyer
"I have yet to be in a game where luck was involved." –Urban Meyer. Southern Living

"I have yet to be in a game where luck was involved." –Urban Meyer

16 of 31

Emmitt Smith

“I may win and I may lose, but I will never be defeated.” –Emmitt Smith
“I may win and I may lose, but I will never be defeated.” –Emmitt Smith. Southern Living

"I may win and I may lose, but I will never be defeated." –Emmitt Smith

17 of 31

Vince Lombardi

“There is only one way to succeed in anything…and that is to give it everything.” –Vince Lombardi
“There is only one way to succeed in anything…and that is to give it everything.” –Vince Lombardi. Southern Living

"There is only one way to succeed in anything…and that is to give it everything." –Vince Lombardi

18 of 31

Cam Newton

"You cannot make progress with excuses." –Cam Newton
"You cannot make progress with excuses." –Cam Newton. Southern Living

"You cannot make progress with excuses." – Cam Newton

19 of 31

J.J. Watt

"Success isn't owned, it's leased. And rent is due every day." –J.J. Watt
"Success isn't owned, it's leased. And rent is due every day." –J.J. Watt. Southern Living

"Success isn't owned, it's leased. And rent is due every day." J.J. Watt

20 of 31

Paul Brown

“You can learn a line from a win and a book from defeat.” –Paul Brown
“You can learn a line from a win and a book from defeat.” –Paul Brown. Southern Living

"You can learn a line from a win and a book from defeat." Paul Brown

21 of 31

Paul "Bear" Bryant

“It’s not the will to win that matters. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.” –Paul “Bear” Bryant
“It’s not the will to win that matters. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.” –Paul “Bear” Bryant. Southern Living

"It's not the will to win that matters. It's the will to prepare to win that matters." Paul "Bear" Bryant

22 of 31

Vince Lombardi

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.” -Vince Lombardi
“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.” -Vince Lombardi. Southern Living

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will." - Vince Lombardi

23 of 31

Bo Jackson

“Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.” –Bo Jackson
“Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.” –Bo Jackson. Southern Living

"Set your goals high, and don't stop till you get there." Bo Jackson

24 of 31

Sean Payton

“To do things you’ve never done before, you have to do things you’ve never done before.” –Sean Payton
“To do things you’ve never done before, you have to do things you’ve never done before.” –Sean Payton. Southern Living

"To do things you've never done before, you have to do things you've never done before." Sean Payton

25 of 31

Jerry Rice

"Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't." –Jerry Rice
"Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't." –Jerry Rice. Southern Living

"Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't."Jerry Rice

26 of 31

Vince Lombardi

"The man on top of the mountain didn't fall there." –Vince Lombardi
"The man on top of the mountain didn't fall there." –Vince Lombardi. Southern Living

"The man on top of the mountain didn't fall there."Vince Lombardi

27 of 31

J.J. Watt

“Remember, once you set a goal, it’s all about how hard you’re willing to work, how much you’re willing to sacrifice and how badly you truly want it.” –J.J. Watt
“Remember, once you set a goal, it’s all about how hard you’re willing to work, how much you’re willing to sacrifice and how badly you truly want it.” –J.J. Watt. Southern Living

"Remember, once you set a goal, it's all about how hard you're willing to work, how much you're willing to sacrifice and how badly you truly want it." J.J. Watt

28 of 31

Peyton Manning

“The most valuable player is the one who makes the most players valuable.” –Peyton Manning
“The most valuable player is the one who makes the most players valuable.” –Peyton Manning. Southern Living

"The most valuable player is the one who makes the most players valuable."Peyton Manning

29 of 31

Lou Holtz

"If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven't done anything today." –Lou Holtz
"If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven't done anything today." –Lou Holtz. Southern Living

"If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven't done anything today." Lou Holtz

30 of 31

Vince Lombardi

“Winners never quit and quitters never win.” –Vince Lombardi
“Winners never quit and quitters never win.” –Vince Lombardi. Southern Living

"Winners never quit and quitters never win." Vince Lombardi

31 of 31

Walter Payton

"When you're GOOD at something, you'll tell everyone. When you're GREAT at something, they'll tell you."--Walter Payton
"When you're GOOD at something, you'll tell everyone. When you're GREAT at something, they'll tell you."--Walter Payton. Southern Living

"When you're good at something, you'll tell everyone. When you're great at something, they'll tell you." - Walter Payton

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