--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Son, you've got a good engine, but your…" description: "\"Son, you've got a good engine, but your hands aren't on the steering wheel.\" — Bobby Bowden" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d79/bobby-bowden-13983_college_son-you-ve-got-a-good-engine-but-your-ha_893544.png" --- # Son, you've got a good engine, but your hands aren't on… ![“Son, you've got a good engine, but your hands aren't on the steering wheel.” quote by Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d79/bobby-bowden-13983_college_son-you-ve-got-a-good-engine-but-your-ha_893544.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d79/bobby-bowden-13983_college_son-you-ve-got-a-good-engine-but-your-ha_893544.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d79/bobby-bowden-13983_college_son-you-ve-got-a-good-engine-but-your-ha_893544.png) > “Son, you've got a good engine, but your hands aren't on the steering wheel.” [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. You have resources but lack control; without directing them you cannot achieve results. **In simple terms:** Good tools need you at the helm. Key Takeaway Take charge of your own direction. Themes leadership control responsibility Mood reflective motivational Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - sports coaching - project management - personal development Key Concepts agency decision making Questions to Reflect On - Are you steering your own life? - What prevents you from taking the wheel? A Different Perspective Having resources without control can lead to wasted potential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [College football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college-football/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) [Texas football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/texas-football/) ## Related quotes > [After you retire, there's only one big event left…and I ain't ready for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/after-you-retire-there-s-only-one-big-event-left-and-i-ain-t-ready/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [We live one day at a time and scratch where it itches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darrell-royal/we-live-one-day-at-a-time-and-scratch-where-it-itches/) [Darrell Royal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darrell-royal/) > [They whipped us like a tied up goat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-dykes/they-whipped-us-like-a-tied-up-goat/) Spike Dykes > [Always remember… Goliath was a 40 point favorite over David.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-jordan/always-remember-goliath-was-a-40-point-favorite-over-david/) Ralph Jordan > [Oh, we played about like three tons of buzzard puke this afternoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-dykes/oh-we-played-about-like-three-tons-of-buzzard-puke-this-afternoon/) Spike Dykes > [I don't expect to win enough games to be put on NCAA probation. I just want to win enough to warrant an investigation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-devaney/i-don-t-expect-to-win-enough-games-to-be-put-on-ncaa-probation-i-just/) Bob Devaney > [There's one sure way to stop us from scoring ... give us the ball near the goal line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matty-bell/there-s-one-sure-way-to-stop-us-from-scoring-give-us-the-ball-near/) Matty Bell > [I asked Darrell Royal, the coach of the Texas Longhorns, why he didn't recruit me and he said: 'Well, Walt, we took a look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-garrison/i-asked-darrell-royal-the-coach-of-the-texas-longhorns-why-he-didn-t/) Walt Garrison > [I never graduated from Iowa, but I was only there for two terms - Truman's and Eisenhower's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-karras/i-never-graduated-from-iowa-but-i-was-only-there-for-two-terms-truman/) [Alex Karras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-karras/) > [My advice to defensive players: Take the shortest route to the ball and arrive in a bad humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bowden-wyatt/my-advice-to-defensive-players-take-the-shortest-route-to-the-ball/) Bowden Wyatt > [The only qualifications for a lineman are to be big and dumb. To be a back, you only have to be dumb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knute-rockne/the-only-qualifications-for-a-lineman-are-to-be-big-and-dumb-to-be-a/) [Knute Rockne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knute-rockne/) > [They cut us up like boarding house pie. And that's real small pieces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darrell-royal/they-cut-us-up-like-boarding-house-pie-and-that-s-real-small-pieces/) [Darrell Royal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darrell-royal/) > [If you want to walk the heavenly streets of gold, you gotta know the password, "Roll, Tide, Roll!"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-bryant/if-you-want-to-walk-the-heavenly-streets-of-gold-you-gotta-know-the/) [Bear Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-bryant/) > [Football isn't a contact sport, it's a collision sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duffy-daugherty/football-isn-t-a-contact-sport-it-s-a-collision-sport/) [Duffy Daugherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duffy-daugherty/) > [If lessons are learned in defeat, our team is getting a great education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-warmath/if-lessons-are-learned-in-defeat-our-team-is-getting-a-great-education/) Murray Warmath ## More by Bobby Bowden > [If their IQ's where five points lower they'd be geraniums.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/if-their-iq-s-where-five-points-lower-they-d-be-geraniums/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [All my life, I've been right next to a football field. I never knew nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/all-my-life-i-ve-been-right-next-to-a-football-field-i-never-knew/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [I was always going to church with my mom, dad and sister. I was literally raised under the godly influence both at home and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/i-was-always-going-to-church-with-my-mom-dad-and-sister-i-was/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [I guess I'll retire someday if I live that long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/i-guess-i-ll-retire-someday-if-i-live-that-long/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [Something has to happen that you can't coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/something-has-to-happen-that-you-can-t-coach/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [The thing that drives most coaches out of coaching in college is they get tired of the grind of recruiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/the-thing-that-drives-most-coaches-out-of-coaching-in-college-is-they/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [I've never made football my priority. My priorities are my faith and my dependence on God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/i-ve-never-made-football-my-priority-my-priorities-are-my-faith-and/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [After you retire, there's only one big event left…and I ain't ready for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/after-you-retire-there-s-only-one-big-event-left-and-i-ain-t-ready/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [Faith is the most important thing in the world to me. It's the greatest strength I've had. It's helped me get through the hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/faith-is-the-most-important-thing-in-the-world-to-me-it-s-the/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [I'm not too proud to change. I like to win too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/i-m-not-too-proud-to-change-i-like-to-win-too-much/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [He died right after he retired, and seeing that made me feel more conscious of a man needing a motive to live. If I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/he-died-right-after-he-retired-and-seeing-that-made-me-feel-more/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [To have the kind of year you want to have, something has to happen that you can't explain why it happened. Something has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/to-have-the-kind-of-year-you-want-to-have-something-has-to-happen/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [You can live by biblical principles, and you can teach by those principles and still be a winner. So many coaches think you've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/you-can-live-by-biblical-principles-and-you-can-teach-by-those/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [During my last days at Florida State, 65 to 70 percent of my boys did not have a daddy at home. They're raised by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/during-my-last-days-at-florida-state-65-to-70-percent-of-my-boys-did/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [A better ending could not have been scripted. Of course, if we had won, that would have been better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/a-better-ending-could-not-have-been-scripted-of-course-if-we-had-won/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) [Explore all 48 Bobby Bowden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) ## More College quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [My first ever job after college was as a flight attendant. I wanted to travel and could not afford it, so I decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-winspear/my-first-ever-job-after-college-was-as-a-flight-attendant-i-wanted-to/) [Jacqueline Winspear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-winspear/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [Some people, you know, should just go to college and do what they do and have a great job and not worry about trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/some-people-you-know-should-just-go-to-college-and-do-what-they-do/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [Children should finish school and even go to college if they can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fuller/children-should-finish-school-and-even-go-to-college-if-they-can/) [Robert Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fuller/) > [I was totally sober in college and really, really focused. I just took the time when other people might be partying and just made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-flay/i-was-totally-sober-in-college-and-really-really-focused-i-just-took/) [K. Flay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-flay/) > [In college we didn't pass block the way they do in the pros - they played the I-formation at Wisconsin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-webster/in-college-we-didn-t-pass-block-the-way-they-do-in-the-pros-they/) [Mike Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-webster/) > [Plant flowers in others' gardens and your life becomes a bouquet! Submitted by Lisa Letto, Coordinator, Nutrition Resource and Volunteer Centre, College of Pharmacy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/plant-flowers-in-others-gardens-and-your-life-becomes-a-bouquet/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [Doing away with separate black colleges meets resistance from alumni and other blacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-baker-motley/doing-away-with-separate-black-colleges-meets-resistance-from-alumni/) [Constance Baker Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-baker-motley/) > [My son going to college is a big milestone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gore/my-son-going-to-college-is-a-big-milestone/) [Frank Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gore/) > [The reason I got into acting was not to explore myself. I was a reader, I didn't care about acting. I got into it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-scott/the-reason-i-got-into-acting-was-not-to-explore-myself-i-was-a-reader/) [Campbell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-scott/) [Browse all 7,391 College quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Son, you've got a good engine, but your hands aren't on the steering wheel.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bobby Bowden" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/son-you-ve-got-a-good-engine-but-your-hands-aren-t-on-the-steering/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "College" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/son-you-ve-got-a-good-engine-but-your-hands-aren-t-on-the-steering/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d79/bobby-bowden-13983_college_son-you-ve-got-a-good-engine-but-your-ha_893544.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d79/bobby-bowden-13983_college_son-you-ve-got-a-good-engine-but-your-ha_893544.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d79/bobby-bowden-13983_college_son-you-ve-got-a-good-engine-but-your-ha_893544.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Son, you've got a good engine, but your hands aren't on the steering wheel.” — Bobby Bowden", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bobby Bowden", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Son, you've got a good engine,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/son-you-ve-got-a-good-engine-but-your-hands-aren-t-on-the-steering/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/son-you-ve-got-a-good-engine-but-your-hands-aren-t-on-the-steering/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```