Rare Photos of Vince Lombardi

SI Staff | Jun 11, 2013

Rare Photos of Vince Lombardi

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Vince Lombardi, who led the Packers to wins in Super Bowl I and II, would have celebrated his 100th birthday on Tuesday, June 11. Here are some rare photos of the Hall of Fame coach. After graduating from St. Francis Prep in Queens, New York, Lombardi went to Fordham University in the Bronx, where he played offensive line for the Rams.

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After graduating from Fordham, Lombardi coached high school football in New Jersey before returning to Fordham as an assistant coach in 1947. He left Fordham after one season for an assistant's gig at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he stayed until 1952.

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Lombardi's first NFL coaching position was with the New York Giants, where he served as an assistant on a staff that included Tom Landry. The two helped lead the Giants to a championship in 1956.

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In 1959, the 45-year-old Lombardi was named head coach and general manager of the Green Bay Packers, inheriting a team that went 1-10-1 the previous season. The squad showed immediate improvement and finished with a 7-5 record, earning Lombardi Coach of the Year honors.

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Few men had a greater impact on the culture of the NFL than Lombardi, despite the fact that he didn't land his first coaching job until he was 45.

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Lombardi on the sidelines during a game vs. the Chicago Bears at Wrigley Field. The Bears defense would force seven Green Bay turnovers en route to a 26-7 drubbing of Lombardi's Packers.

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Lombardi was offered the head coaching job of the New York Giants following the 1960 season, but turned it down to stay in Green Bay.

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Much of Lombardi's success at Green Bay can be attributed to quarterback Bart Starr, who threw for nearly 25,000 yards and won two Super Bowls under the coach.

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Lombardi, ever the motivator, hung this sign in the Packers' locker room.

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Lombardi takes a hands-on approach during a blocking drill. He compiled a career coaching record of 96-34-6 and never endured a losing season.

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In a team meeting after being appointed to the helm, Lombardi addressed his players bluntly. "I have never been on a losing team, gentlemen, and I do not intend to start now." Lombardi's imposing presence is memorialized in a 14-foot statue outside Lambeau Field.

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Lombardi in a coaching booth above the field.

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NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle hands a trophy to Lombardi following Super Bowl I, a 35-10 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. The trophy would later be named after Lombardi.

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Just how confident was Packers' then-President Dominic Olejniczak of Lombardi's ability? Enough to grant him not only the head coaching job in 1959, but also the vacant general manager position as well.

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Frank Gifford, working as a broadcaster for CBS, interviews Lombardi before the Packers 33-14 win over the Raiders in Super Bowl II. Lombardi would step down as coach after this game but continue as Green Bay's GM.

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Victorious in the Super Bowl for the second consecutive year, Lombardi is carried off the field by Jerry Kramer (64).

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In 1969, Lombardi returned to the sideline as head coach and general manager of the Washington Redskins. Here he talks with quarterback Sonny Jurgensen.

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Lombardi led the Redskins to a 7-5-2 record in 1969, which broke a streak of 14 losing seasons for the team.

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Lombardi shares a light moment with his grandchildren at Redskins' training camp at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Penn.

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Lombardi works out during down time at the Redskins' training camp. He only spent one season as coach in Washington before being diagnosed with colon cancer in the summer of 1970. He died 10 weeks later at 57.

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Lombardi's legacy is still strong today. Many of his innovations are still a part of football and his motivational speeches are still being read by coaches across the nation.

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Lombardi greets fans at the Redskins training field at Georgetown University.