George Allen, Sr. Biography Quotes 17 Report mistakes

Early Life
George Herbert Allen was born on April 29, 1918, in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up fascinated by organization, discipline, and the psychology of competition, traits that later defined his approach to football. After college he gravitated to coaching, building his reputation step by deliberate step at smaller programs before finding his way to the professional ranks. By the mid-1950s he had developed a clear coaching identity: meticulous preparation, rigorous attention to defense and special teams, and a belief that culture and detail could close talent gaps.

Climbing the Ranks
Allen arrived in the National Football League as an assistant with the Los Angeles Rams and then, crucially, with the Chicago Bears under George Halas. In Chicago he became known for exhaustive film study and innovative defensive concepts that helped the Bears to the 1963 NFL championship. Players and colleagues remembered him as a relentless planner who left nothing to chance, an organizer who viewed practice schedules, substitution patterns, and game plans as competitive weapons.

Los Angeles Rams
In 1966 Allen returned to Los Angeles as head coach, hired by owner Dan Reeves to revive a dormant franchise. He did so immediately, transforming the Rams into a powerhouse built around a fierce defense featuring the celebrated Fearsome Foursome, including Deacon Jones and Merlin Olsen. The Rams captured a division title in 1967 and remained postseason contenders under his watch. Allen's hard-driving style sometimes produced friction with management, but on the field his teams were disciplined, opportunistic, and superb on special teams, areas he treated with the same gravity as offense and defense. His tenure in Los Angeles established him as one of the league's premier head coaches.

Washington Redskins and The Future Is Now
In 1971 Allen took over the Washington Redskins at the behest of owner Edward Bennett Williams and immediately reshaped the roster with aggressive trades, famously declaring, "The future is now". He preferred proven veterans, assembling the "Over-the-Hill Gang" with players such as Jack Pardee, Ron McDole, Myron Pottios, and Diron Talbert. His quarterback room featured the contrasting talents of Sonny Jurgensen and Billy Kilmer, with Allen often leaning on the steady, risk-averse Kilmer while deploying stars like running back Larry Brown and receiver Charley Taylor. Washington went to Super Bowl VII after the 1972 season by defeating Tom Landry's Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game, falling to Don Shula's undefeated Miami Dolphins. Over seven seasons in Washington, Allen never endured a losing campaign and regularly reached the playoffs, supported by a defense orchestrated by assistants like Richie Petitbon.

Style, Methods, and Influence
Allen's hallmark was exhaustive preparation. He popularized an all-in organizational approach that elevated film study, situational football, and special teams to first-class status. He treated the kicking game as a decisive phase, drilled situational substitutions, and fostered a roster culture where role players knew their jobs as precisely as stars. His willingness to trade draft picks for veterans was controversial but coherent: he prioritized immediate competitiveness and locker-room maturity. The intensity and structure he brought to daily operations influenced a generation of coaches and executives and helped modernize NFL practice and planning habits.

Later Roles
After Washington, Allen remained a sought-after figure, advising teams and returning to the sideline in the upstart USFL as head coach of the Chicago Blitz in 1983. Late in his career he accepted the challenge of coaching at Long Beach State in 1990, bringing the same zeal for organization and morale-building to a college program that needed direction. Even in that final season he demonstrated his capacity to rally players, build staff cohesion, and squeeze results from limited resources.

Personal Life and Legacy
Allen's family remained intertwined with public life and football. His son George Allen would later serve as Governor and U.S. Senator from Virginia, while Bruce Allen became a longtime NFL executive. George Allen died on December 31, 1990, in Southern California, shortly after completing his season at Long Beach State. Posthumously, his strategic imprint continued to be felt across professional football, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002. Remembered by former players such as Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Billy Kilmer, Jack Pardee, and Sonny Jurgensen as a master motivator and immaculate planner, Allen left a legacy of competitive urgency summed up by his enduring mantra: the future was always now.

Our collection contains 17 quotes who is written by George, under the main topics: Witty One-Liners - Motivational - Never Give Up - Sports - Work Ethic.