General Neyland’s “7 Maxims” To Live By

Most of us create a game plan for navigating life.  There are things you must do.  Things you mustn’t.  Areas where you focus attention.  Areas that distract us. 

Over time, you solidify your list.  It becomes your creed.  It makes you predictable.  Those who know you, begin to understand what you expect, what you will do in certain situations and they can anticipate your reactions. 

General Robert Neyland was the football coach at Tennessee back in the day.  He had a list of “7 Maxims” he insisted his team live by.  

1. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.  

2. Play for and make the breaks and when one comes your way – SCORE.

3. If at first the game – or the breaks – go against you, don’t let up… put on more steam.

4. Protect our kickers, our QB, our lead and our ball game.

5. Ball, oskie, cover, block, cut and slice, pursue and gang tackle… for this is the WINNING EDGE.

6. Press the kicking game.  Here is where the breaks are made.

7. Carry the fight to our opponent and keep it there for 60 minutes.

You can read between the lines here.  But these maxims resonated with his teams, adhering to them caused them to succeed and the results caused them to teach generations to come.

Do you have a list?

Have you written it down?

Do you share it with the people in your circle?

Do you live up to the standards your list advocates?