Vincent T. Lombardi

Lombardi lines up as the coach of The Packers (https://remnantnewspaper.com/web/images/vince-lombardi-1967.jpg)

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will" (Vince Lombardi). On his first day of training as the Packers head coach, Lombardi  began by telling his team the basics of football. Not because they didn't know, but because they would want the league title even more if they knew the true reason to play. Lombardi based his team, his whole life, upon this philosophy. Vince Lombardi was born on June 11, 1913 in New York to Henry Lombardi, an immigrant Italian butcher, and Matilda Izzo. He died of cancer on September 3rd, 1970, however his legacy lives on. He was inducted into the Pro-Football HOF and is remembered every year during the super bowl when the winner is given the Vince Lombardi Superbowl Trophy. Lombardi was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during five of the 13 league titles, two of which were the first two Super Bowls. To be a hero, a person must show a generous amount of dedication to something, and they must stand out by doing things differently. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, dedication is when someone is "devoted to a cause, ideal, or purpose" and to stand out is "to steer away from shore". Vincent T. Lombardi showed dedication to his ideals on football and stood out from the rest of the world's coaches. Because of this  Lombardi is a hero, not only for the NFL, but for everyone.

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Lombardi showed dedication to his religion, his family, and his team. He was a coach with many philosophies. One of them was, "'Your religion, your family, and the Green Bay Packers will be your priorities as long as you are here! And in that order!'" (Lombardi). Lombardi went to Catholic Mass every single day of his life. He told his players to do the same. He didn't mind what religion his players were, as long as they were devoted to something. Next came the families. Lombardi took the job as a Packers head coach to marry a girl that would become his wife. Before he wanted to be a coach, Lombardi was planning on becoming a Catholic priest. In the Washington Post Obituary of 1970, Shirley Povich wrote about Vince Lombardi, "He made something of a morality game out of pro football, with all its violence, by his steadfast devotion to the rectitudes. With Lombardi, the old-fashioned virtues of hard work and deep faith and team loyalties never went out of style" Vince kept his team focused on football and let them know that hard work was the only work that would be accepted. He showed dedication to his philosophies and to his team. Lombardi told his team that their lives were to be a certain order not to make their lives harder but easier. He showed his dedication to their success, to the team, and to his religion.

Statue of Vince Lombardi in front of Lambeau Field (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_DjUamj_8c0/VMvRWJLq1uI/ ())

Lombardi wasn't just any other coach, he stood out from all of them. He had his own coaching style that worked better than all others. He would tell his team "We win with execution. Something works, not because it's a brilliant piece of strategic or tactical thinking, but because our team has practiced the same plays, the same movements, and the same fundamentals over and over and over again." This coaching style differed from others in many ways. Instead of learning new plays every week at practice, his team would learn the same plays as the week before. This would drill each play into their heads instead of introducing new ones. Vincent was not average sized for a football player at that time. He was much shorter than most, and he weighed much less. "At less than five feet ten inches tall and under 175 pounds, Lombardi was small even by the standards of that day." Lombardi was short and stocky, however he still helped his team get all but two wins in the season. Lombardi had his own coaching style which led his team to many championships. He was one of the smallest players of that time yet he is still famed on the established Seven Blocks Of Granite. Lombardi stood out from everyone else, and that brought him to the top of the NFL many times.

Vincent T. Lombardi showed dedication to his ideals on football and stood out from the rest of the world's coaches. Because of this  Lombardi is a hero, not only for the NFL, but for everyone. As short as he was, Lombardi broke many size barriers. He showed dedication to the most important things as a football coach. He showed dedication to his philosophies and his team. Lombardi would change things  for the world of coaching for the better. Lombardi inspires kids today to focus on winning and trying your best. Even though he is gone, Lombardi left a legacy on sports that will never be forgotten. He taught his players a lesson everyone should know..."Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence." (Vince T. Lombardi).

Works Cited

"1. Vince Lombardi: Simply the Best." ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 11 June 2013,

www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/page/greatestcoach1/greatest-coaches-nfl-history-vince-lombardi. Accessed 3 May 2017.

Football, Bill Curry College. "Curry: Lombardi's Teachings Stand Test of Time." ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 30 Sept. 2008,

www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3617877. Accessed 3 May 2017.

Povich, Shirley. "Even at Top, Lombardi Looked Up." Even at Top, Lombardi Looked Up, 4 Sept. 1970,

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/redskins/longterm/1997/history/allart/lombpov.htm. Accessed 1 May

2017.

"Vincent Thomas Lombardi." Dictionary of American Biography, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1988. Biography in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/BT2310008832/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=4606c858. Accessed 1 May 2017.