Knute Rockne quotes from Knute Rockne, All American (1940)

Knute Rockne

Now I'm going to tell you something I've kept to myself for years. None of you ever knew George Gipp. He was long before your time, but you all know what a tradition he is at Notre Dame. And the last thing he said to me, "Rock," he said, "sometime when the team is up against it and the breaks are beating the boys, tell 'em to go out there with all they got and win just one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then, Rock," he said, "but I'll know about it and I'll be happy."
The bolded portion of this quote was ranked #89 in the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movie quotations in American cinema.

Knute Rockne

Coach, let us use the forward pass, I know it'll work.

Notre Dame Coach Harper

I'm not so sure. We've never seen it in a game.

Knute Rockne

Neither has the Army, what can we lose?

Glenn 'Pop' Warner: But we've got to answer them somehow, Rock. You, Spaulding, Stagg, Jones and myself - we've given the best years of our life to this game. We can't stand by now and do nothing.

Howard Jones

We've come here from all over the country, Rock - hoping you'd go to New York with us, and face this committee.

It's for the boys - millions of boys throughout the country! It's their game we're fighting for.

Pop Warner is right - we can't ignore their charges. Have you read all they've said about us?

Knute Rockne

Sure - I've read every word of it. Public educators, huh? Never read such a lot of lies in my life.

Yes, Rock - we know that. But they don't know it. They're not really vicious men - they're simply misled.

Knute Rockne

The public is never misled by this kind of stuff.

Father John Callahan

The public believes anything it reads in the newspapers, Knute - unless it's denied in type just as large, and preferably larger.

Committee Member

Mr. Rockne, couldn't football be replaced by some other game? Something less violent?

Knute Rockne

Well, what game would you suggest?

Committee Member

Well, hockey, for instance.

Knute Rockne

Why, as a matter of fact, I suggested that very idea to Father Callahan, our president. He was downright interested until we came to the use of sticks, and then he threw up his hands. He said, "No... , that game is not for our university. Notre Dame will never endorse any game that puts a club in the hands of an Irishman."

Knute Rockne

We're gonna beat the Army, Gus!
Charles 'Gus' Dorais: Aw, Rock!

Knute Rockne

No, we're gonna beat 'em. I got an idea. Y'see all these eastern teams like the Army, they're all power, knock you down, roll over you like a steamroller. Alright, when you can't go around a steamroller you go over it. [speaks rapidly] No team has ever used the forward pass as the major threat of it's offense, consequently no team has ever had a good defense against it! Gus, we're gonna pass the Army, we're gonna pass 'em dizzy! Gimme that ball!
Charles 'Gus' Dorais: Rock! If that works it'll make history!