Looking back at the best Bum Phillips quotes

Bum Phillips was a beloved NFL icon due to his colorful personality. Here are some of his most famous quotes over the years.

by Jon Benne

Oct 19, 2013, 5:50 PM UTC

Rick Stewart

The NFL world lost a legend over the weekend. Former Houston Oilers coach Bum Phillips passed away at his Texas ranch on Friday. He was 90 years old.

Phillips was one of the best coaches in Oilers history, leading the team to a 59-38 record over six seasons. He became famous for his outspoken, colorful personality and his trademark cowboy hat. When news of his death broke, Twitter reminisced on his most memorable quotes made over the years. Here are some choice selections.

"Two kinds of players ain't worth a damn: One never does what he's told, and one who does nothin' but what he's told." RIP Bum Phillips.
— Joe Posnanski (@JPosnanski) October 19, 2013

RT @RealBillOakley On RB Earl Campbell's inability to finish a 1-mile run "When it's 1st and a mile, I won't give it to him." - Bum Phillips
— Smart Football (@smartfootball) October 19, 2013

"The harder we played, the behinder we got." - Bum Phillips. RIP.
— Chase Goodbread (@ChaseGoodbread) October 19, 2013

"Winning is only half of it. Having fun is the other half." -Bum Phillips #RIP
— NFL Retweet (@NFLRT) October 19, 2013

RIP Bum II: Said Bum Phillips: "Coaching is not how much you know. It's how much you can get players to do."
— Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) October 19, 2013

Bum Phillips' classic #Wonderlic quote - "Yeah, that test says he's dumb as a fence post, but when he hits he looks like Einstein to me."
— Anish Shroff (@AnishESPN) October 19, 2013

"You fail all the time, but you aren't a failure until you start blaming someone else." ~ Bum Phillips
— Terry (@TerryLeeMiller) October 19, 2013

"Last year we knocked on the door. This year we beat on it. Next year we're going to kick the son of a bitch in!" - #BumPhillips 1923-2013
— DRONEB8_TN (@ISaidKnow) October 19, 2013

Bum Phillips in response to Sid Gillman telling him that breaking down film was better than sex: "Sid, you must not be doing it right."
— Tom Kirkendall (@bigtkirk) October 19, 2013