FARLEY QUOTES
Like everyone knows, Coach Farley taught us all the game of life through the game of football. He would constantly emphasize he was not only getting us ready for the game of the week, but also for the game of life. His message was how a young man can translate the lessons learned while playing sports into a successful career as an adult when the time comes. As I reflect back on my favorite “Game of Life” quotes, here are the ones that rise to the top.
1) The TEAM comes first.
This quote is listed first on purpose. It was proudly displayed, front and center, on his desk in his office. It is important for you to understand that a lot of times, you are a part of something that is bigger than yourself. Coach Farley told the team…”I don’t care if your hair goes down your back and wraps around your feet, but as soon as you miss a tackle because it’s over your eyes, cut it off”. We were a part of a team. As we carried this into philosophy into our workplace, one of the single most important traits that employers are looking for in their personnel, is the ability to collaborate with others. Just like on the the field, we already had a leg up on our career.
2) One play at a time, play this play.
Thomas Edison’s teachers said he was “too stupid to learn anything”. He was fired from his first two jobs for being “non-productive”. As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb before finally achieving greatness.
Abraham Lincoln went to war a Captain and returned a Private. Afterwards, he was a failure as a businessman. As a lawyer, he was too impractical and temperamental to be a success. He turned to politics and was defeated in his try for the Legislature, the Congress, the Commissioner of the General Land Office, the Senate, and the Vice-Presidency. You all know the rest of the story, as he was elected President.
In sports, you can’t win championships your senior year just because you were undefeated in third grade. The opposite of that is also true. You have to do your best today. Don’t hang your hat, or your head on yesterday.
3) Don’t beat yourself.
How many of you have seen a basketball game where the player misses a bunny layup on the offensive end and then immediately goes down the court and commits a stupid foul on the defensive end? Or, the hockey goalie that allows a reasonable goal into the net, buts hangs his head and then follows it up by allowing a routine save into the net as well? You need to be able to “flush” a situation on a moments notice so you don’t end up beating yourself with your own behaviors, rather than your opponent’s skill.
Coach Farley believed that we were in control of almost all of our behaviors and could not control other people. For every outcome, there was a choice or a series of choices that led up to it. In our lives ahead, we would be faced with many choices. As we faced the next difficult choice, we could decide to be positive or negative? Kick the ball over the 50 yard line and we win!
4) Your opponent is your potential.
Everyone knows that Michael Jordan is one of the greatest basketball players of all time. But, maybe you didn’t know that at 5’10”, he was sent to the JV team as a sophomore in high school. He openly admits to failing more than most. In the NBA, he has…
Lost almost 300 games.
Missed over 9,000 shots.
Been given the ball 26 times to take the game winning shot and missed.
His father James once noted, “What he does have is a competition problem. He was born with that…the person he tries to outdo most of the time is himself.” Think about that…”the person he tries to outdo most of the time is himself.” What James is saying is that Michael Jordan’s opponent wasn’t the New York Knicks or the Detroit Pistons, it was his own potential.
Coach Farley was assisting us in answering the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”.
5) Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
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“That was a lucky shot”, or
“They got all the breaks”, or
“That’s just the luck of the draw”
But, did you ever wonder what the practices looked like leading up to that big finish? Most coaches attempt to foresee any probable scenario that the athletes may encounter and script a practice for that scenario. When the time comes, the team or the individual is ready. There is no new situation. Coach Farley was a stickler of every detail.
Life will throw you lemons. Will you be ready to make lemonade?
6) Number nothing, just trying to get better.
You have all heard of Barry Sanders. He was one of the best college running backs in football earning the Heisman Trophy after his 1988 season at Oklahoma State. He went on to an illustrious career in the NFL, all with the Detroit Lions.
He was famous for what he did on the field, but he was also famous for what he didn’t do. After each of his 109 touchdowns, he didn’t celebrate. In contrast to many of the star players of his era, Sanders was noted for his on-field humility. Despite his flashy playing style, he was rarely seen celebrating after the whistle was blown. Instead, he handed the ball to the referee or congratulated his teammates. Although he could have, he didn’t raise his index finger and proclaim to be number one. He was number nothing and just tried to get better.
In all of Coach Farley’s accomplishments, he certainly had times where he was faced with the same decision. It is a great quality to be confident in your abilities, but it is a fine line to cross into arrogance. Sometimes it is better to be safe with humility.
7) Bend, don’t break.
Opposing teams might move up and down the field and rack up a bunch of yards, but if you keep them out of the end zone, you will more than likely win the game. In sports, you may need to be OK with “bending” on an occasional 5-yard out route if it helps prevent you from “breaking” by getting beat deep for a long touchdown.
Coach Farley would ask us…
What are you going to do if you get fired from your job?
What are you going to do it your girlfriend leaves you?
What are you going to do if your pet dies?
The key component to this type of mentality is being able to be resilient in your fight. Never give up! Never quit! Know that a little bump in the road doesn’t mean that it is the end of your journey.
Because of Coach Farley’s philosophy, his legacy will live on far beyond the boundary lines of the gridiron. As we reflect back on our life as a Falcon Football player, and fast forward to where we are today, most of us have at least one person to acknowledge. Thanks Coach Farley!
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