About Vince Lombardi
American football coach Vincent Thomas Lombardi (June 11, 1913 – September 3, 1970) had an estimated net worth of $9 million. In Brooklyn, New York, Vince Lombardi was born. His parents were Italian immigrants. He was an aggressive but tiny offensive tackle at Fordham University while attending St. Francis Preparatory School. He was only 5’8″ and weighed 180 pounds. Lombardi initially enrolled at Fordham Law School before deciding against it.
Career of Vince Lombardi Before the NFL
He started coaching football at St. Cecila High School in Englewood, New Jersey, in 1939. Lombardi assisted St. Cecilia’s in become the top-ranked high school football program in the country in just four years. Four years later, he went back to his alma mater, Fordham, to coach football, first the freshman squad and then the varsity. After that, he continued coaching at West Point for five years until accepting a position with the New York Giants, his first NFL team.
The Green Bad Packers and Vince Lombardi
But Lombardi really started to establish his legacy in 1958 when he took over as Green Bay Packers’ head coach. However, that legacy had a modest beginning. His first Packers squad, which featured five future Hall of Famers, went 1-10-1. He faced the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL Championship game a year later with the same Packer club.
NFL titles won by Lombardi
Lombardi went on to the Packers, where he won more than 100 games in his tenure, to win six NFL Championships, including three Super Bowls. Lombardi first experienced stomach issues in 1967. He was found to have cancer. Three years later, on September 3, 1970, he passed away at the age of 57.
The Legacy of Lombardi
In 1971, he received a posthumous induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The most famous NFL legend of all time, Vince Lombardi was a legend in his sport and in his day.
Vital Statistics
- Born: June 11, 1913, – Brooklyn, New York
- Died: September 3, 1970
- Place of Burial: Mount Olivett Cemetery, Middletown, New Jersey
- Alma Mater: Fordham University
Coached For:
• St. Cecilia High School in Englewood, New Jersey (1939-47)
• Fordham University (1947-49)
• New York Giants (1954-58)
• Green Bay Packers (1959-1967)
• Washington Redskins (1969)
Career NFL Record:
• Regular Season: 105-35-6
• Post Season:
9-1
Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame:
1971
Vince Lombardi Quotes:
Among his famous quotes:
“Winners never quit, and quitters never win.”
“Show me a good loser, and I’ll show you a loser.”
“Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.”
“The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.”
“If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, “It is essential to understand that battles are primarily won in the hearts of men.”
“In great attempts, it is glorious even to fail.”
“Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.”
“The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.”
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”
“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”
“There’s only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything. I do, and I demand that my players do.”
“If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you’ll be fired with enthusiasm.”
“Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.”
“Winning isn’t everything–but wanting to win is.”
Got His Start:
At St. Cecilia High School in Englewood, New Jersey, where he was paid $1,700 a year to teach Latin, algebra, physics and chemistry, and coach the football, basketball and baseball teams.
Best Known For:
Changing the Green Bay Packers, who were perpetual losers at the time, into an NFL dynasty.
College Notes:
• A guard in Fordham’s defensive line, which was dubbed the “Seven Blocks of Granite.”
• Inducted as a charter member of the Fordham University Hall of Fame (1970)
• Rotary Club created the honorary Rotary Lombardi Award for outstanding college offensive or defensive linemen
NFL Highlights:
• Named NFL Coach of the Year (1959)
• Named NFL Man of the Decade (1960s)
• Won Six Division Titles
• Won Five NFL Titles
• Won Two Super Bowls (I,II)
• Never had a losing season as a head coach
• Super Bowl Trophy Renamed the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy (1971)
• Inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame (1975)
• Inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame (1971)
• Named ESPN Coach of the Century (2000)
And that’s our look at the life of legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi.
