Pat O'Brien Quotes

Committee Member Mr. Rockne, couldn't football be replaced by some other game? Something less violent?

Knute Rockne Well, what game would you suggest?

Committee Member Well, hockey, for instance.

Knute Rockne Why, as a matter of fact, I suggested that very idea to Father Callahan, our president. He was downright interested until we came to the use of sticks, and then he threw up his hands. He said, "No... , that game is not for our university. Notre Dame will never endorse any game that puts a club in the hands of an Irishman.

Knute Rockne * The bolded portion of this quote was ranked #89 in the ] in American cinema.

Knute Rockne Coach, let us use the forward pass, I know it'll work.

Notre Dame Coach Harper I'm not so sure. We've never seen it in a game.

Knute Rockne Neither has the Army, what can we lose?

Knute Rockne We're gonna beat the Army, Gus!

Charles Gus Dorais Aw, Rock!

Knute Rockne No, we're gonna beat em. I got an idea. Y'see all these eastern teams like the Army, they're all power, knock you down, roll over you like a steamroller. Alright, when you can't go around a steamroller you go over it. No team has ever used the forward pass as the major threat of it's offense, consequently no team has ever had a good defense against it! Gus, we're gonna pass the Army, we're gonna pass em dizzy! Gimme that ball!

Charles Gus Dorais Rock! If that works it'll make history!

Knute Rockne We haven't got any use for gamblers around here. You've done your best to ruin baseball, and horse racing, and this is one game that's clean and is gonna stay clean.

Glenn Pop Warner But we've got to answer them somehow, Rock. You, Spaulding, Stagg, Jones and myself - we've given the best years of our life to this game. We can't stand by now and do nothing.

Howard Jones We've come here from all over the country, Rock - hoping you'd go to New York with us, and face this committee.

Alonzo Stagg It's for the boys - millions of boys throughout the country! It's their game we're fighting for.

Bill Spaulding Pop Warner is right - we can't ignore their charges. Have you read all they've said about us?

Knute Rockne Sure - I've read every word of it. Public educators, huh? Never read such a lot of lies in my life.

Alonzo Stagg Yes, Rock - we know that. But they don't know it. They're not really vicious men - they're simply misled.

Knute Rockne The public is never misled by this kind of stuff.

Father John Callahan The public believes anything it reads in the newspapers, Knute - unless it's denied in type just as large, and preferably larger.

Knute Rockne Now I'm going to tell you something I've kept to myself for years. None of you ever knew ]. He was long before your time, but you all know what a tradition he is at Notre Dame. And the last thing he said to me, "Rock," he said, "sometime when the team is up against it and the breaks are beating the boys, tell em to go out there with all they got and win just one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then, Rock," he said, "but I'll know about it and I'll be happy.

Knute Rockne Father, I've decided to take up coaching as my life's work.

Father John Callahan Hmmmm.

Knute Rockne You think I'm making a mistake, don't you?

Father John Callahan Anyone who follows the truth in his heart never makes a mistake.