The Little Red Book of Football Wisdom

Every football fan has heard Vince Lombardi’s famous adage: “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” The same is true of Knute Rockne’s exhortation to “Win one for the Gipper.” Quotes like these have become part of football’s lore.
Less well known is Alex Karras’s advice on the best way to stop All-Pro running back Jim Brown: “Give each guy on the line an ax.” Or Randy Cross’s opinion of his fellow players’ intelligence: “The NFL, like life, is full of idiots.” And then there’s this glimpse into Bill Parcells’s game plan: “If my quarterback runs, I’ll shoot him.”
The Little Red Book of Football Wisdom is a collection of witty and hilariously irreverent quotes about America’s most popular sport. Players, coaches, celebrities, and literary giants weigh in on the best—and worst—football teams, athletes, games, fans, and more. These are just some of the folks whose words appear in these pages:

• Joe Namath
• David Halberstam
• Joe Montana
• Paul Hornung
• Deion Sanders
• Mean Joe Greene
• Richard Nixon
• Jerry Seinfeld
• Barack Obama
• Bruce Springsteen
• Hunter S. Thompson
• Faith Hill
• Ernest Hemingway
• And dozens of others!

With a rich history dating back nearly 150 years, football is America’s game. Through the words of people who’ve played, coached, and cheered the games, The Little Red Book of Football Wisdom brings football’s vibrant tradition to life.

Niels Aaboe is a book editor who has written for the New York Times and West Side Spirit. He is the editor of The Little Red Book of Golf Wisdom (2013). He lives in New York City.