I'm 99% sure it wasn't Benjamin Franklin.

June 18, 2010 7:13 PM

What is the true origin of the quote, "If you get in the end-zone, act like you've been there before."

Googling finds multiple conflicting cites.

posted by Bonzai to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (7 answers total)

The actual origin may be obscure. The general trend of a misattributed quotation is from a less well-known figure to a universally known figure. Going back in time, your citations tend to get more accurate, at least in theory.

A 1998 book by Joe Montana says "I don't know who said it first."

A 1990 job search book attributes it to "a National Football League coach".

The earliest citation to a specific person I can find is Lou Holtz, in 1993, but given the fact it was a widespread quotation already I wonder how accurate that is.
posted by dhartung at 8:18 PM on June 18, 2010

Response by poster: Thanks dhartung I was kind of expecting something like that. I found it attributed to Lou Holtz, Bear Bryant, Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry but I figured it had to go back further.

Probably some high school coach who will never be known.
posted by Bonzai at 8:55 PM on June 18, 2010

the beer commercial said Barry Sanders.
posted by toodleydoodley at 9:38 PM on June 18, 2010

I would have guessed Barry Sanders off the bat.

I don't know if he ever said anything like that, but you can look at every single TD that guy had, and each looks like the first. He acted like he'd been there every time.
posted by sanka at 10:26 PM on June 18, 2010

Actually the quote seems to come from Barry Sanders' Dad. Scroll to the end #9
posted by sanka at 10:29 PM on June 18, 2010

But the phrase is applied to other sports as well, especially with baseball hitters and home runs, and maybe pitchers and strikeouts or saves. That might make it even harder to narrow down.

And it's not like Barry Sanders was the first to act respectfully after a touchdown, it's just that he stood out from everyone else in modern football who didn't act that way.

It's not that unique a phrase, so it may have just been sprouted over time by high school coaches across the nation, and gradually worked its way to the pros (and the media that cover the pros).
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 1:58 AM on June 19, 2010

I've always heard it attributed to Vince Lombardi. But then again, I'm from Wisconsin, so we attribute most good things to Vince Lombardi...
posted by christinetheslp at 4:30 AM on June 19, 2010