Vince Lombardi

Vincent Thomas Lombardi was born in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, to Italian immigrant parents. Attending Fordham University, he played right guard as one of the legendary 'Seven Blocks of Granite' offensive line. After coaching high school Latin and football at St. Cecilia in New Jersey and serving as offensive coordinator for the New York Giants, Lombardi was hired in January 1959 to take over the Green Bay Packers, who had finished 1-10-1 the previous season.

Lombardi immediately instituted a culture of absolute excellence, discipline, and devotion, famously demanding 'Lombardi time' (arriving 15 minutes early was on time; arriving on time was late). He perfected the 'Packer Sweep'—a devastating running play executed with such flawless blocking precision by Jerry Kramer and Fuzzy Thurston that defenses could not stop it even though they knew it was coming.

Under Lombardi, Green Bay won five NFL Championships (1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967) and swept the first two Super Bowls (Super Bowl I against Kansas City and Super Bowl II against Oakland). In an era of rampant racial discrimination, Lombardi was a fierce advocate for racial equality, warning Green Bay landlords and businesses that any establishment discriminating against Black Packers players would be placed strictly off-limits to the entire team. Following his death from colon cancer in 1970, the NFL renamed the Super Bowl Trophy the 'Vince Lombardi Trophy'.