--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Football doesn't build character, it…" description: "\"Football doesn't build character, it reveals character.\" — Marv Levy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/marv-levy-22669_american-football_football-doesn-t-build-character-it-reve_181246.jpg" --- # Football doesn't build character, it reveals character. ![“Football doesn't build character, it reveals character.” quote by Marv Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/marv-levy-22669_american-football_football-doesn-t-build-character-it-reve_181246.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/marv-levy-22669_american-football_football-doesn-t-build-character-it-reve_181246.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/marv-levy-22669_american-football_football-doesn-t-build-character-it-reve_181246.jpg) > “Football doesn't build character, it reveals character.” [Marv Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-levy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sports expose a person's true character rather than shaping it. **In simple terms:** Games reveal who you are. Key Takeaway Observe behavior in competition. Themes character sports truth personal growth leadership Mood reflective insightful Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - team sports - coaching - competitive environments - personal challenges Key Concepts character revelation sports psychology team dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What does a sport reveal about you? - Can character be changed through sport? A Different Perspective Character may be influenced by training and environment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-football/) [Build Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/build-character/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Character Reveals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-reveals-1938316/) [Encouragement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encouragement/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Football Doesn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football-doesn-305576/) [Football motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football-motivation/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Inspirational football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational-football/) [Inspirational sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational-sports/) [Motivational football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational-football/) [Reveals Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reveals-character-1723565/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [Attitude determines how well you do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/attitude-determines-how-well-you-do-it/) [Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/) > [The principle is competing against yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-young/the-principle-is-competing-against-yourself/) [Steve Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-young/) > [I like to believe that my best hits border on felonious assault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-tatum/i-like-to-believe-that-my-best-hits-border-on-felonious-assault/) [Jack Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tatum/) > [Baseball is what we were, football is what we have become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mcgrory/baseball-is-what-we-were-football-is-what-we-have-become/) [Mary McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcgrory/) > [You have to play this game like somebody just hit your mother with a two-by-four.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-birdwell/you-have-to-play-this-game-like-somebody-just-hit-your-mother-with-a/) [Dan Birdwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-birdwell/) > [I don't believe skill was, or ever will be, the result of coaches. It is a result of a love affair between the child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-keane/i-don-t-believe-skill-was-or-ever-will-be-the-result-of-coaches-it-is/) [Roy Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-keane/) > [The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual. People who work together will win, whether it be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/the-achievements-of-an-organization-are-the-results-of-the-combined/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) > [If my mother put on a helmet and shoulder pads and a uniform that wasn't the same as the one I was wearing, I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-jackson/if-my-mother-put-on-a-helmet-and-shoulder-pads-and-a-uniform-that/) [Bo Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-jackson/) > [We can't run. We can't pass. We can't stop the run. We can't stop the pass. We can't kick. Other than that, we're just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-coslet/we-can-t-run-we-can-t-pass-we-can-t-stop-the-run-we-can-t-stop-the/) [Bruce Coslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-coslet/) > [Just keep going. Everybody gets better if they keep at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-williams/just-keep-going-everybody-gets-better-if-they-keep-at-it/) [Ted Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-williams/) > [Show me a gracious loser and I'll show you a failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knute-rockne/show-me-a-gracious-loser-and-i-ll-show-you-a-failure/) [Knute Rockne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knute-rockne/) > [The only place you can win a football game is on the field, the only place you can lose it is in your hearts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darrell-royal/the-only-place-you-can-win-a-football-game-is-on-the-field-the-only/) [Darrell Royal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darrell-royal/) > [There is no pressure when you are making a dream come true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neymar/there-is-no-pressure-when-you-are-making-a-dream-come-true/) [Neymar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neymar/) > [It's a better view if you're standing up than if you're laying down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/it-s-a-better-view-if-you-re-standing-up-than-if-you-re-laying-down/) [Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/) ## More by Marv Levy > [A failure becomes just one time at bat if you refuse to let it defeat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-levy/a-failure-becomes-just-one-time-at-bat-if-you-refuse-to-let-it-defeat/) [Marv Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-levy/) > [Our goal is to develop our team, to earn what we get, to learn, to develop unselfish attitudes. If we achieve that, the results…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-levy/our-goal-is-to-develop-our-team-to-earn-what-we-get-to-learn-to/) [Marv Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-levy/) > [If you have everything prepared, the rest will take care of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-levy/if-you-have-everything-prepared-the-rest-will-take-care-of-itself/) [Marv Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-levy/) > [As a collegiate, I think you spend 50 percent of your time recruiting. It is a distasteful process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-levy/as-a-collegiate-i-think-you-spend-50-percent-of-your-time-recruiting/) [Marv Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-levy/) > [All the buildup and hype, everything else, is foam. The game is the beer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-levy/all-the-buildup-and-hype-everything-else-is-foam-the-game-is-the-beer/) [Marv Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-levy/) > [When I was twelve, I went hunting with my father and we shot a bird. He was laying there and something struck me. Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-levy/when-i-was-twelve-i-went-hunting-with-my-father-and-we-shot-a-bird-he/) [Marv Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-levy/) > [Adversity is an opportunity for heroism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-levy/adversity-is-an-opportunity-for-heroism/) [Marv Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-levy/) > [I got some very good advice once. That was: You're not talking to a reporter, you're talking to the public. We didn't hide things.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-levy/i-got-some-very-good-advice-once-that-was-you-re-not-talking-to-a/) [Marv Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-levy/) > [Where else would you rather be than right here, right now?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-levy/where-else-would-you-rather-be-than-right-here-right-now/) [Marv Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-levy/) > [This is not a must-win; World War II was a must-win (Referring to the Super Bowl)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-levy/this-is-not-a-must-win-world-war-ii-was-a-must-win-referring-to-the/) [Marv Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-levy/) > [What you do should speak so loudly that no one will hear what you say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-levy/what-you-do-should-speak-so-loudly-that-no-one-will-hear-what-you-say/) [Marv Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-levy/) > [Every profession has changed. Journalism has changed. Medicine has changed. Technology has changed and it evolves. The same is true of football. Free agency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-levy/every-profession-has-changed-journalism-has-changed-medicine-has/) [Marv Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-levy/) > [Security comes from earning it-not seeking it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-levy/security-comes-from-earning-it-not-seeking-it/) [Marv Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-levy/) > [Great football coaches have the vision to see, the faith to believe, the courage to do - and 25 great players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-levy/great-football-coaches-have-the-vision-to-see-the-faith-to-believe/) [Marv Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-levy/) > [A good education prepares you well for anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-levy/a-good-education-prepares-you-well-for-anything/) [Marv Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-levy/) [Explore all 27 Marv Levy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-levy/) ## More American football quotes > [I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-feel-like-i-m-the-best-but-you-re-not-going-to-get-me-to-say-that/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [I wanted to have a career in sports when I was young, but I had to give up the idea. I'm only six feet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/i-wanted-to-have-a-career-in-sports-when-i-was-young-but-i-had-to/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Let's face it, you have to have a slightly recessive gene that has a little something to do with the brain to go out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-green/let-s-face-it-you-have-to-have-a-slightly-recessive-gene-that-has-a/) [Tim Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-green/) > [There were probably about five games in my career where everything was moving in slow motion and you could be out there all day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-taylor/there-were-probably-about-five-games-in-my-career-where-everything/) [Lawrence Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-taylor/) > [When I first got to college, in my mind, I was going to end up playing professional football. When I tell people this story,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jovan-adepo/when-i-first-got-to-college-in-my-mind-i-was-going-to-end-up-playing/) [Jovan Adepo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jovan-adepo/) > [Because too many times in life there's just one person that I met, just one thing that I heard, one movie that I saw,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-singletary/because-too-many-times-in-life-there-s-just-one-person-that-i-met/) [Mike Singletary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-singletary/) > [In order to gain the respect of your players in the locker room, you can't just perform on Saturday. You have to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junior-seau/in-order-to-gain-the-respect-of-your-players-in-the-locker-room-you/) [Junior Seau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junior-seau/) > [The best part of it for me is the idea that this group of young men, who came together and believed in themselves, bought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coughlin/the-best-part-of-it-for-me-is-the-idea-that-this-group-of-young-men/) [Tom Coughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coughlin/) > [If you're honest with yourself, that's the first step in maturing and becoming a better person. If you suppress your shortcomings and fears, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-millard/if-you-re-honest-with-yourself-that-s-the-first-step-in-maturing-and/) [Keith Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-millard/) > [I'm gonna say it one more time. We are Georgia Southern. Our colors are blue and white. We call ourselves the Bald Eagles. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erk-russell/i-m-gonna-say-it-one-more-time-we-are-georgia-southern-our-colors-are/) [Erk Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erk-russell/) > [Discipline and diligence are up there on the list, but one of the most important qualities of many really successful people is humility. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-blackledge/discipline-and-diligence-are-up-there-on-the-list-but-one-of-the-most/) [Todd Blackledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-blackledge/) > [I have seen women walk right past a TV set with a football game on and - this always amazes me - not stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/i-have-seen-women-walk-right-past-a-tv-set-with-a-football-game-on/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [I am the least likely person in the world to be in an American football film! Which is why I couldn't say no to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhys-ifans/i-am-the-least-likely-person-in-the-world-to-be-in-an-american/) [Rhys Ifans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhys-ifans/) > [Football is just a game. What matters is what you play for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-davis/football-is-just-a-game-what-matters-is-what-you-play-for/) [Ernie Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-davis/) > [As a kid, I loved contact sports, especially American football and boxing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/urijah-faber/as-a-kid-i-loved-contact-sports-especially-american-football-and/) [Urijah Faber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/urijah-faber/) [Browse all 190 American football quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-football/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Football doesn't build character, it reveals character.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marv Levy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-levy/football-doesn-t-build-character-it-reveals-character/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American football" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-levy/football-doesn-t-build-character-it-reveals-character/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/marv-levy-22669_american-football_football-doesn-t-build-character-it-reve_181246.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/marv-levy-22669_american-football_football-doesn-t-build-character-it-reve_181246.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/marv-levy-22669_american-football_football-doesn-t-build-character-it-reve_181246.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Football doesn't build character, it reveals character.” — Marv Levy", "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": "Marv Levy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-levy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Football doesn't build character, it reveals...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-levy/football-doesn-t-build-character-it-reveals-character/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-levy/football-doesn-t-build-character-it-reveals-character/#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 } } ] } ```