The visitors were taking a beating at the hands of their archrivals. Down by a touchdown at half, the team was unable to get anything going on offense and fell behind by 17 points as the third quarter came to an end.

The whistle’s sound served as a cue for the players and coaches. Despite being down by more than two touchdowns, they raised their right arms in unison, held up four fingers on their hands and yelled: “Fourth quarter. Fourth quarter. Fourth quarter!”

Can a football slogan motivate a team?

Well, there’s no conclusive proof, but football coaches and programs have relied on slogans for inspiration for a long time – and continue to do so.

Even if you’re not a Ronald Reagan film fan, you’ve probably heard the phrase, “Win one for the Gipper!” At the urging of star player George Gipp, who lie ill on his death bed, Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne was told to motivate the team by using the phrase, “Win one for the Gipper” when things weren’t going well on the field. Reagan, who played Gipp in the movie, later used the slogan in his presidential campaign.

Notre Dame also is noted for its “Play like a champion today” sign that went up during the Lou Holtz coaching era. It’s a Notre Dame football tradition for players to touch the sign on their way out of the locker room. The Oklahoma Sooners, where Bud Wilkinson’s teams rallied behind the slogan in the 1940s, also uses “Play like a champion today.”

When many players exited the University of Michigan program in 1969, coach Bo Schembechler used the rallying cry of, “Those who stay will be champions.” It continues to play a major role in motivating University of Michigan football players today.

Finding the right football slogan to match your team, your philosophy and the current environment is key.

Here are a dozen of our favorites:

• Teamwork makes the dream work.
• Victory requires payment in advance.
• There’s no elevator to success – take the stairs.
• Band of brothers.
• 11 players, 1 heartbeat.
• Championships are made when the stands are empty.
• Never let good enough be enough.
• Winners train. Losers complain.
• The harder we work the luckier we get.
• Surrender the ME for the WE.
• One team, one dream.
• It’s not every Friday – it’s every day.

For more, visit football slogans and sayings.

Getting back to our visiting team that was chanting “Fourth quarter,” the players rallied to score touchdowns on their next three possessions and win by four points in an amazing comeback.

You see, from the first day of practice, the visiting team’s coach placed an emphasis on winning the fourth quarter. To accomplish that, he let his team know that they needed to be in better shape than competitors. “Fourth quarter” became a rallying cry at every practice, during every conditioning drill and with every extra lap. By integrating the slogan into practices and games, his players bought in.

If you polled the coaches and players, all would say the slogan worked like a charm.

Michael O’Halloran is founder and editor of Sports Feel Good Stories.com. Do you have an inspirational sports story your want to share? Enter the TeamSnap and SportsFeelGoodStories.com “The Sports Feel Good Story of the Year Contest” here for an opportunity to win $500. Check out his line of customizable award certificates for football, softball, futbol and more here. Also, check out our new line of MVP Offseason Workouts for football, basketball, baseball, fitness and softball.