Vincent Thomas Lombardi

Smiling for the paparazzi (Google Images)

“Winning isn’t everything. It is the only thing” (Vince Lombardi). Vince revealed to us that winning was his only objective, with this way of thinking; it brought him to be the best of the best. This great man was born in New York, New York, on June 11, 1913. Vince grew up to be one of the best coaches in football history; he turned a worthless group of guys into champions that everyone admired. He coached the Green Bay Packers and the Washington Redskins, both having winning seasons, and five NFL championships with the Packers, including Super Bowls I and II. Vince Lombardi was an amazing man. He had all the makings of a great coach. Vince had the courage to overcome anything that stopped him from reaching his goal, while carrying on a desire to be the best coach of all time.

Courage is what Vince had that separated him from other people. At the beginning of his career, Vince was signed to coach the Green Bay Packers (1959-1967). He took a relatively weak team, and transformed them to something that no one saw coming. Even though he was on a mediocre team, he still persevered and never gave up on what he was trying to do. Vince did not complain or deny that he was on a bad team. He knew what he got himself into, and he did not back out from it. During his whole football career, the only thing that could bring him down was cancer. Even cancer did not stop him from doing what he loved. He took a two year break from football, and then went back to coaching! He still performed very well with the Redskins, as the head coach, while still trying to recover. Vince Lombardi’s actions were courageous and very bold. Nothing stood in his way, and if something did, Vince would find some way to overcome the obstacle.

Vince Lombardi’s desire to be the best was like no other. His season with the Packers was a tough ride, but somehow he managed to do very well! The Family of Vince Lombardi states, ”He developed a reputation for being a tireless workaholic, a trait that helped Lombardi land a position as assistant coach in the NFL for the New York Giants. During his five years with the Giants, Lombardi helped lead the Giants to five winning seasons, culminating with the league championship in 1956.” Vince’s ambitious attitude to win was the driving force that led them to victory. His team and his fans looked at him as an inspiration. Every time he started a new season, he immediately began training camps and workouts, running the guys through plays and having tough conditioning. This shows that Vince wanted improvement that’s effective and fast. His desire was tremendous. To win was his top priority in his coaching life.

Vince Lombardi had the courage to conquer anything in his path to win, and he wielded the desire to rise above the rest, and to become the best. He created something out of nothing with a weak team, with hard work and discipline which gave him immediate success. Vince proved himself, and he did not show signs of giving up. His coaching ability was amazing. Vince was an all-around coach on football and in life. He lived with a positive mindset, that anything is possible. We should all strive to be like Vince, to have the courage and the desire to do anything we set our minds to. That is the key to having success, just like what Vince did with the Green Bay Packers, achieving great feats and accomplishing impossible tasks.

Works Consulted

"About Vince Lombardi." Vince Lombardi. 2010 Family of Vince Lombardi c/o Luminary Group LLC, n.d. Web. 14 May 2010. .

Bourgoin, Suzanne M. Student Resource Center Gold. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2010.

"Hall of Famers." Pro Football Hall of Fame. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2010. . Student Resource Center Gold. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2010.

"Vince Lombardi." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2nd ed. Vol. 9. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 491-492. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 21 May 2010.