Time & Perspective Quote by George Allen, Sr.

“Forget the past - the future will give you plenty to worry about” sounds like a pep talk until you notice the sly trapdoor underneath it. George Allen Sr., an old-school NFL coach who built his reputation on preparation and paranoia (his teams were nicknamed the Over-the-Hill Gang because he prized veterans), isn’t selling carefree optimism. He’s selling triage.

The line is built on a bait-and-switch: the first clause mimics the familiar self-help bromide about letting go. Then Allen flips it. The future isn’t a promise; it’s a pipeline of fresh problems. That’s coaching logic with a comedian’s timing: you don’t get to eliminate anxiety, you just get to choose where it’s useful. Past mistakes can paralyze because they’re fixed, replayable, endlessly re-litigated in film-room detail. Future problems, by contrast, are actionable. They can be game-planned, drilled, anticipated. Worry becomes a tool, not a mood.

The subtext is also a quiet rebuke to nostalgia, a sport’s favorite drug. Fans and players alike romanticize yesterday’s greatness; Allen redirects attention to the only arena that can still be influenced. It’s toughness reframed as time management: don’t waste scarce mental bandwidth on what can’t be changed when tomorrow is already loading its own pressures.

In the context of pro football’s week-to-week churn, it doubles as leadership advice. A coach can’t afford a locker room stuck on last Sunday, whether it was a win to preen over or a loss to grieve. Reset, refocus, and aim your nervous energy at the next snap.