You know, buffalo are significantly bigger than elk. I grew up near Yellowstone so I've been near buffalo. Buffalo are huge.

I do have a Viking axe by the bed if I need to whack someone... My wife bought me a Viking axe - the axe side curls down so you can grab the adversary around the neck and you can use it to climb walls, as a grappling hook.

If you get into a fight, don't take your helmet off. We're looking for smart football players, not dumb ones.

I don't think people should be allowed to shoot guns unless they have a license.

I'm a thin-crust pizza guy. I respect people who like thick crust, but in my view it's mostly bread.

I've actually seen guys who I considered relatively stupid college coaches, then go to the NFL, and sanctimoniously think they understand that something the rest of us couldn't perceive. They're an idiot before, they're an idiot now, and they'll be an idiot afterwords. It's mind-numbing.

If you go to any elementary school classroom in Texas, some kids in there are going to be named either Austin, Dallas or Houston.

The interesting thing about football is that football is the only sport where you quit playing when you get a lead.

When I was at Tech, no public school was ahead of us in graduation rates. We got our guys to compete in the classroom, and if they're competing in class and in football, that's an attitude they take into life.

There's nothing balanced about the 50 percent run, 50 percent pass because that's 50 percent stupid.

I don't know everybody's view on due process, but I do have an opinion on what the Constitution says, what the Pledge of Allegiance implies, what sixth- and seventh-graders are taught in civics classes, and I think it is that you're going to have the opportunity to be heard.

It's indisputable that you'll make way more money with a larger playoff.

There's a reason they only serve fruitcake once a year, because it's awful. There's a reason they only serve mint julep's once a year, because they're awful. And there's a reason they only serve candy corn once a year, because it's awful.

Playing someone difficult is tough and can be discouraging, but if you beat them the payoff is huge!

The government shutdown, we all know that's a sham. I mean, are they really going to just go to the entire Army and Navy and say, 'You're fired.'

There's shouting, there's blood, there's boogers, there's a whole thing. I mean, there's spitting, there's fighting, there's ripped jerseys. There's someone grabbing someone's throat. I mean, it's why you have football.

I listen a lot to Howard Stern. Not the show, the interviews. He has a separate podcast of just interviews. They're fantastic.

Iowa is kind of a fascinating place.

My life's pretty simple. Look at hours and hours of film to try to find some things that will work on Saturday. Try to have a good practice every day. Use the offseason to recruit and build the culture of the locker room. That's my deal.

I ought to have Mike's Pirate School. The freshmen, all they get is the bandanna. When you're a senior, you get the sword and skull and crossbones. For homework, we'll work pirate maneuvers and stuff like that.

Somebody said that in passing, you know, 'I hate cats.' You know, somebody really hates cats, and I've never figured that one out. And credit to cats - the ability to generate that much animosity, you know.

Fish aren't smart. It's not like they have advanced degrees.

The people in southern Georgia are tough.

I've directly contributed to losses, but likewise, I'd like to think I contributed to a lot of wins and a lot of good play.

You know, the loudest stadium I've ever played in was 45,000 people at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas. The entire thing is concrete. It's like dropping a ball bearing in your neighbor's basement.

I'm proud to say I had a bet with a guy from Chicago who said Chicago is windier and colder than Wyoming. Wyoming dominated them.

Anytime you're trying to set a course, there's gonna be decisions made, and you have to weigh all options, and then in the end you come up with the best course.

I bordered on great in dodge ball.

All Scandinavians feel a tiny bit self conscious, of which I'm one.

When you have five skill positions, if all five of them are contributing to the offensive effort, then that's balanced.

In golf, you keep trying to score well when you're ahead. In basketball, they don't quit shooting when they're ahead. In hockey, they don't quit shooting the puck when they're ahead. And in boxing, you don't quit punching when you're ahead. But in football, somehow magically, you're supposed to quit playing when you're ahead.

Those that have a voice have to speak for those of us who are silenced.

As a head coach, you're on two lists. You're the guy that might get fired, or you're the guy who might go somewhere.

I don't think they necessarily do nearly as much haunting as people think. If you believe in the Bible, pretty much part of the deal that goes with it is ghosts.

Growing up my favorite coach was Billy Martin.

You get these Satanists types that don't believe in God. OK, so you realize you don't get Satan if you don't get God, right? Or atheists that want to believe in ghosts. Wait, wait, wait. You can't have a two-way go on that. You want to be agnostic, be an atheist, fine. But you don't bring ghosts along with you.

At an unusually young age, I read 'Instant Replay' by Jerry Kramer, which talked a lot about the Green Bay Packers and Vince Lombardi. From there I was really more a fan of coaches than teams and players.

Tracked a raccoon one time in the snow. I was in the neighborhood and I was just curious where this raccoon lived. There's some fresh raccoon tracks. He'd been digging at somebody's garbage.

My wife is a great dancer. But I don't dance.

I've always been insecure about dancing. I was when I was in high school.

I'm not really good with technology.

I'm a big movie guy.

You're gaining more than you're losing in a small town.

I know that in Ames, Iowa, they fancy themselves being experts on the wind, but in Lubbock, Texas, we'll put our wind up against your wind in Iowa.

I think they need to expand the playoff system. I think the minimum should be 16 teams, but they could easily go with more than that... in other words, I want to see more football. Everybody from rec league softball on down can figure out how to put together a tournament and yet Division I can't.

I'm not a beat around the bush kind of guy.

If you aren't focused on what's right here in front of you, if you're daydreaming about what might be, you really aren't focused at all.

Nothing has done more to bring people of different races and different backgrounds together than athletics, certainly more than politicians have done. It's why the Greeks invented the Olympics.

I think the most important thing is confidence. A lot of people think they're confident, but if you think about it, most people aren't.

I've never had a dumb quarterback. I think if you're dumb, it's difficult to overcome.