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Motivation Quote by Mike Tomlin

"Don’t blink. If you blink, you might miss it"

About this Quote

“Don’t blink” is coach-speak that works because it sounds like pure urgency while quietly smuggling in a worldview. Mike Tomlin’s version isn’t poetic; it’s procedural. The line has the blunt rhythm of a sideline command, built for a locker room where attention is currency and distraction is a competitive disadvantage. It’s also a warning about modern football’s real tempo: games swing on a single busted coverage, a half-second late on a blitz pickup, one lapse in leverage. Blink and the moment isn’t just gone; it’s on the scoreboard.

The subtext is Tomlin’s core brand of authority: control what you can, respect the volatility, and don’t romanticize “momentum” as magic. He frames time as predatory. The “might miss it” clause is doing a lot of work, hinting that opportunity is both scarce and fleeting, and that the difference between winning and losing isn’t always talent but sustained presence. That’s why it lands beyond sports. In a culture trained to multitask, the quote flatters the listener with a tough love challenge: be locked in, be accountable, be here.

Contextually, Tomlin often speaks in compressed maxims that travel well on highlight reels and motivational posters, but they aren’t empty. They’re portable doctrine for players living week-to-week in a league designed to humble certainty. The message isn’t “be inspired.” It’s “be ready.”

Quote Details

TopicSports
SourcePostgame press conference after Steelers vs. Ravens (Dec. 5, 2010), reflecting on the AFC North race/season intensity
Cite

Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Tomlin, Mike. (2026, January 26). Don’t blink. If you blink, you might miss it. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/dont-blink-if-you-blink-you-might-miss-it-184462/

Chicago Style
Tomlin, Mike. "Don’t blink. If you blink, you might miss it." FixQuotes. January 26, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/dont-blink-if-you-blink-you-might-miss-it-184462/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Don’t blink. If you blink, you might miss it." FixQuotes, 26 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/dont-blink-if-you-blink-you-might-miss-it-184462/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

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About the Author

Mike Tomlin

Mike Tomlin (born March 15, 1972) is a Coach from USA.

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