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Who Said It: President Obama Or Coach Taylor?

by Alicia Lu

On Tuesday night, President Obama delivered his last State of Union speech, which was arguably also his best one yet. Reflecting on the past seven years and emphasizing what needs to be done in the years and decades to come, Obama was less formal and more blunt than he's been in the past, even promising to "make it a little shorter." But it was his closing statements that poignantly reflected the state of the union. Obama channeled Friday Night Lights' Coach Taylor when he called America "clear-eyed" and "big-hearted." The FNL-inspired quote has raised an important question: Are Obama and Coach Taylor essentially the same person?

Think about it. They're both leaders in their community (Obama's community being the United State of America), they're both dedicated family men, and they're both naturally gifted orators, able motivating a group of house cats. Not to mention, they're both pretty easy on the eyes, plus they both have strong, capable wives who sometimes know better than they do.

One may be the commander-in-chief while the other may be fictional high school football coach, but both President Obama and Coach Taylor, played by the devastatingly handsome Kyle Chandler, have uttered countless inspirational words of wisdom throughout their tenures. In fact, Obama's closing remark wasn't the only statement that was reminiscent of the beloved NBC drama. Below are some of Obama's best lines from his 2016 SOTU speech and some of Coach Taylor's best quotes over five seasons. Can you tell who said what?

1. "Don't start giving up on what you set forth to do in the beginning. Because that's gonna get you nowhere. I can promise you that."

2. "I believe in change because I believe in you."

3. "I'm a firm believer in you can do anything you put your mind to, and yourself, you, I believe you can do anything you put your mind to."

4. "If we give up now, then we forsake a better future."

5. "Stick together. It all works out."

6. "It's about character. It's about striving to be better than everybody else."

7. "The world respects us not just for our arsenal, it respects us for our diversity and our openness and the way we respect every faith."

8. "The future we want, all of us want ... all that is within our reach. But it will only happen if we work together."

9. "Success is not a goal, it's a byproduct."

10. "We have to change the system to reflect our better selves."

11. "Don't just stand by and watch it happen."

12. "I heard that a daughter is supposed to be a comfort and a blessing to her father."

NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

And the answers are...

1. Coach Taylor

2. President Obama

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3. Coach Taylor

4. President Obama

NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

5. Coach Taylor

6. Coach Taylor

7. President Obama

NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

8. President Obama

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9. Coach Taylor

10. President Obama

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11. Coach Taylor

12. Coach Taylor

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