40+ Woody Hayes Quotes For Ultimate American Football Fans

Anusuya Mukherjee
Dec 12, 2023 By Anusuya Mukherjee
Originally Published on Feb 03, 2021
Coach Woody Hayes's quotes will inspire a new American football player generation.
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Read time: 7.5 Min

Wayne Woodrow Hayes started his career as an American football player for the Ohio State University and then after his retirement, he became a football coach and started coaching the new generation of players.

Hayes was born on 14 February 1913, in Clifton, Ohio, United States and he died on 12 March 1987. He is buried at Union Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio, United States.

Between 1951 and 1978, Hayes won about five national championships in all. He also won around 13 Big Ten crowns and won 205 games, including 152 conference games, showing his great success as the football coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

These wins are also undoubtedly a credit to him as an American football player, not just a football coach.

Here we have compiled a list of famous Woody Hayes quotes for all the aspiring players out there. We also have Ohio State quotes, Ohio State football quotes, and Woody Hayes quotes about Michigan, so, what are you waiting for? Check out our Woody Hayes quotes now.

You can also check out Funny Football Quotes and Paul 'Bear' Bryant Quotes articles.

Inspirational Woody Hayes Quotes

Woody Hayes Michigan quotes will make you want to play football.

If you are looking for inspirational Ohio State Michigan quotes by Woody Hayes, then keep on reading. Woody Hayes and Ohio State are synonyms for each other.

The team is well known because of Woody Hayes and Woody Hayes himself is known for his role in the team. As a coach, Hayes made sure people did not forget that Ohio State was one of the best teams in the United States.

Woody Hayes's coaching record has been as spectacular as his game career. Here are some of the best Woody Hayes national championships and Woody Hayes on Michigan quotes.

1. "Without winners, there wouldn't even be any civilization."

- Woody Hayes.

2. "Paralyze resistance with persistence."

- Woody Hayes.

3. "There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you."

- Woody Hayes.

4. "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.

5. "The only thing even in this world is the number of hours in a day. The difference in winning or losing is what you do with those hours."

- Woody Hayes.

6. "You'll find out that nothing that comes easy is worth a dime. As a matter of fact, I never saw a football player make a tackle with a smile on his face. Never."

- Woody Hayes.

7. “Statistics always remind me of fellow who drowned in a river where the average depth was only three feet.”

- Woody Hayes.

8. "You can never really payback. You can only pay forward."

- Woody Hayes.

9. “The height of human desire is what wins, whether it’s on Normandy Beach or in Ohio Stadium.”

- Woody Hayes.

10. "Football represents and embodies everything that's great about this country because the United States of America is built on winners, not losers or people who didn't bother to play."

- Woody Hayes.

11. “A man is always better than he thinks.”

- Woody Hayes.

12. "The minute I think I'm getting mellow, I'm retiring. Whoever heard of a mellow winner?"

- Woody Hayes.

13. "Anything easy ain't worth a damn!”

- Woody Hayes.

14. "You don't get hurt running straight ahead...three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust offense. I will pound you and pound you until you quit."

- Woody Hayes.

15. "Defeats are the things that make men out of you."

- Woody Hayes.

Woody Hayes Ohio State Famous Quotes

Quotes by Woody Hayes wife Anna Hayes and Woody Hayes family are equally encouraging for a football player as Coach Woody Hayes quotes.

Some of the famous quotes by Ohio State coach Woody are presented below. Here we have collected quotes spoken by Woody Hayes during games.

The Woody Hayes coaching career has been equally fruitful for the Ohio State as it has been for Woody.

As per the Woody Hayes coaching record, the team won five national championships in 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, and 1970 of which he once very famously said, "because I couldn't go for three." So here are some more Woody Hayes quotes from the football coach and American football player.

16. "Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. "

- Woody Hayes.

17. "Any time you give a man something he doesn't earn, you cheapen him. Our kids earn what they get, and that includes respect."

- Woody Hayes.

18. "I am not very smart, but I recognize that I am not very smart."

- Woody Hayes.

19. "Success - it's what you do with what you've got."

- Woody Hayes.

20. "I've had smarter people around me all my life, but I haven't run into one yet that can outwork me. And if they can't outwork you, then smarts aren't going to do them much good."

- Woody Hayes.

21. "When you're winning - you don't need any friends. When you're losing - you don't have any friends anyway."

- Woody Hayes.

22. "I don’t like nice people. I like tough, honest people."

- Woody Hayes.

23. "You don't get many chances to pay back what's been done for you. Take them."

- Woody Hayes.

24. "The only meaningful statistic is the number of games won."

- Woody Hayes.

25. "I don’t motivate the players. I get them to motivate themselves. That’s the only kind of motivation that’s worth a damn. "

- Woody Hayes.

26. " I will pound you and pound you until you quit."

- Woody Hayes.

27. "Success is the only motivational factor that a boy with character needs."

- Woody Hayes.

28. "Even the best team, without a sound plan, can't score."

- Woody Hayes.

29. "If you show me a good guy that the players love all the time, I will show you a loser. "

- Woody Hayes.

30. "Without winners, there would be no civilization."

- Woody Hayes.

31. “We do not pull in and fill up. And I’ll tell you why we don’t. It’s because I don’t buy one goddam drop of gas in the state of Michigan. We’ll coast and push this goddamn car to the Ohio line before I give this state a nickel of my money.”

— Woody Hayes.

Funny Woody Hayes Quotes

Coach Hayes was known for his humor as much as he was known for his game plans. Here we have mentioned some of the best quotes picked from Woody Hayes speech, famous Ohio State quotes said by Hayes and funny Michigan football quotes.

Whilst these Woody Hayes quotes are humorous, they are also pretty inspiring for a football player, or even anyone. We hope that you'll enjoy reading them as much as we did.

32. "Football is, after all, a wonderful way to get rid of your aggressions without going to jail for it."

- Woody Hayes.

33. "Nobody despises to lose more than I do. That's got me into trouble over the years, but it also made a man of mediocre ability into a pretty good coach."

- Woody Hayes.

34. "I’m enthusiastic. The day I’m not, I’ll quit. It is one’s own fault if his enthusiasm is gone; he has failed to feed it."

- Woody Hayes.

35. "I'm not trying to win a popularity poll. I'm trying to win football games."

- Woody Hayes.

36. "I may not be able to outsmart too many people, but I can outwork 'em."

- Woody Hayes.

37. "The great thing about football is that when you get knocked down, you get up and you go again. You don't lie there and moan and groan and rail against the fates."

- Woody Hayes.

38. "The most deceptive course in football is straight at the goalposts."

- Woody Hayes.

39. "You can outwork anybody. Try it, you will find out that you can do it."

- Woody Hayes.

40. "It does not matter the size of the man, rather the amount of effort the man is willing to put forth." - Woody Hayes.

41. "The players fire the coach, and as long as I'm on the same wavelength with them, I can coach as long as I want to."

- Woody Hayes.

42. "To hell with exciting. I'd rather be drab as hell and win."

- Woody Hayes.

43. "Loyalty is a two-way street, not a blind alley."

- Woody Hayes.

44. "I recruited a Czech kicker, and during the eye exam, when asked to read the bottom line, the kicker replied, 'Read it? I know him.'"

- Woody Hayes.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 40+ Woody Hayes Quotes For Ultimate American Football Fans then why not take a look at soccer quotes, or coach carter quotes.

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Written by Anusuya Mukherjee

Bachelor of Arts and Law specializing in Political Science and Intellectual Property Rights

Anusuya Mukherjee picture

Anusuya MukherjeeBachelor of Arts and Law specializing in Political Science and Intellectual Property Rights

With a wealth of international experience spanning Europe, Africa, North America, and the Middle East, Anusuya brings a unique perspective to her work as a Content Assistant and Content Updating Coordinator. She holds a law degree from India and has practiced law in India and Kuwait. Anusuya is a fan of rap music and enjoys a good cup of coffee in her free time. Currently, she is working on her novel, "Mr. Ivory Merchant".

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