Rare Photos of Vince Lombardi

Rare Photos of Vince Lombardi

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Victorious in the Super Bowl for the second consecutive year, Lombardi is carried off the field by Jerry Kramer (64). Legendary Pictures now has a Vince Lombardi feature film in the works with <italics>All Is Lost</italics> and <italics>Margin Call</italics> writer-director J.C. Chandor already penning the script. Inspired by the news, we present some rare photos of the Hall of Fame coach, who led the Packers to wins in Super Bowl I and II.

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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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Lombardi talks to QB Bart Starr (15) during the 1961 NFL Championship vs. the New York Giants. Starr completed 10 of 17 passes for 164 yards and three touchdowns as the Packers shellacked New York, 37-0.

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Lombardi answers reporters' questions in the locker room after defeating the New York Giants ? his former team ? in the 1961 NFL Championship. Before coming to Green Bay, Lombardi was an assistant with New York.

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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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Perhaps one of the most humbling honors in NFL history, then-Commissioner Pete Rozelle's renaming of the title to the Vince Lombardi trophy in 1970 immortalized one the greatest winners the league has ever seen.

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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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Lombardi (right) led the Packers to five NFL Championships during his tenure, including a 35-10 victory over Hank Stram's Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl I.

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Lombardi with Starr on the sidelines during the final seconds of the Packers' Super Bowl I victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Green Bay would go on to win Super Bowl II the following year as well, giving Lombardi an astounding five NFL Championships in a seven year span from 1961-1967.

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Perhaps more than anything, Lombardi is remembered for his pursuit of perfection, both on and off the field.

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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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Lombardi before kickoff at Super Bowl II at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. His Packers defeated the Oakland Raiders, 33-14.

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Lombardi retired as head coach following the 1967 season, but continued his GM duties for one more year.

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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.