Red Auerbach:
“There are no shortcuts. You gotta pay your dues, you gotta know your trade, and you’ve got to pay the price. If you want to go through all that and then do a little more, you’ve got a good shot.”
Dusty Baker:
“To not be afraid to be different and separate yourself from the pack.”
Brian Billick:
“Have the courage of your convictions. Courage is a relative thing. Courage usually fails not because of any personal inequities, but because there is a lack of conviction.”
Bobby Bowden:
“Number one, when you get a job, treat it like it’s the last job you’ll ever have. Work like it’s the last day you’ll have on earth, and do the absolute best that you can. A lot of guys get in a position and start looking way down the road. Where can I get a better job? How can I get promoted? Things like that. Just do the darn best you can, and give it everything you’ve got and that other stuff will take care of itself.”
Bill Cowher:
“Three things I’ve always said:
1. Never quit anything you start.
2. Work harder than the other person.
3. Never be intimidated by anyone or anything.”
Tony Dungy:
“You have to be determined to get there no matter which way the crowd is going. You can’t depend on the crowd to take you there. Sometimes you have to be a leader rather than a follower to be successful and to get to your goals.”
Jeff Fisher:
“I would emphasize how important it is to work on your weaknesses every single day. We all have been given strengths, but we have to work on the weaknesses and turn them into strengths in order to realize our potential.”
Dan Gable:
“In wrestling, the hand gets raised of the winner of the match. But many times, the person whose hand didn’t get raised still walks away a winner. And only that person will be able to figure that out. That’s because they know what they went through to get there. You don’t cut any corners. You leave no stones unturned. You do whatever is needed, from a reasonable point of view, so that when you’re done, you can handle the situation as positively as you can.”
Bill Parcells:
“Persist. Stay with it. Don’t expect instant gratification. Stay with it and be determined.”
Dick Vermeil:
“Keep defining what it is you want to be, then raise the standard each time you reach it. It’s more a destination than a specific goal.”
Bill Walsh:
“Look at the short term of improving. Watch other people; learn from other people. Listen to whoever’s coaching you. Try to improve every day that you practice and every game that you play. That is the key.”
From "How to Succeed in the Game of Life" by Christian Klemash
