Vince Lombardi

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Lore & Background

Lombardi was born on June 11, 1913, in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn to Enrico 'Harry' Lombardi and Matilda 'Mattie' Izzo, both from Southern Italy. He was the oldest of five children. He attended Cathedral Preparatory Seminary and later St. Francis Preparatory high school. He received a football scholarship to Fordham University, where he played as a guard and was part of the 'Seven Blocks of Granite.' After graduating, he worked briefly as a debt collector and enrolled in Fordham Law School but dropped out after one semester. He began his coaching career at St. Cecilia High School, then coached at Fordham University, the United States Military Academy, and the New York Giants before becoming head coach and general manager of the Green Bay Packers from 1959 to 1967 and the Washington Redskins from 1969 until his death from cancer during the 1970 preseason.

In Their Own Story

The turning point of Burrow's career came during his 2019 season at LSU, culminating in a historic College Football Playoff run. On December 14, 2019, he was awarded the Heisman Trophy by a record margin of 1,846 votes over runner-up Jalen Hurts, receiving the highest-ever share of available points. His acceptance speech highlighted the rampant poverty and food insecurity in his hometown; immediately following the broadcast, $450,000 in donations flowed to the Athens County food bank. Burrow's legacy at LSU included winning every major award: the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Davey O'Brien Award, Lombardi Award, and Manning Award, plus unanimous All-American honors. In his first NFL season with Cincinnati, he led the team to their first playoff win since 1990, ending the longest active drought in the four major North American sports. He guided the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI and was named Comeback Player of the Year in 2021. In 2023, he signed what was then the largest contract in NFL history by annual salary, leading the team to their first consecutive division title.

Reader's Guide

Lombardi never had a losing season as head coach in the NFL, compiling a regular-season winning percentage of 73.8% (96–34–6) and 90% (9–1) in the postseason for an overall record of 105 wins, 35 losses and 6 ties in the NFL. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the NFL Super Bowl trophy was named in his honor.

Did You Know?

• Lombardi served as an altar boy at St. Mark Catholic Church in his childhood.
• He was a charter member of Omega Gamma Delta fraternity at St. Francis Preparatory high school.
• In his senior year at Fordham, he was a right guard in the 'Seven Blocks of Granite.'
• He coached at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point under head coach Earl 'Colonel Red' Blaik.