Vince Lombardi was an exceptional NFL coach who is most famous for the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins.
In his 15-year career, his teams accumulated a win/loss record of 133-55-8. Lombardi led the Packers to five championships between 1961 and 1967 and had an overall head coaching record of 96-34-6 with an impressive 9-1-0 in the playoffs.
He was honored in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971. He won the NFL’s Coach of the Year award in 1959 and coached three players to award-winning seasons.
Lombardi’s coaching tree contributed significantly to the NFL, with six of his assistant coaches later becoming head coaches.
His success is evidenced by his winning percentage, being third in NFL history and first for the Packers.
Related: Kirby Smart Quotes from American Football Coach and Bill Belichick Quotes from the Iconic Football Coach
I have outlined the most inspiring quotes by Vince Lombardi below.
Top Vince Lombardi Quotes about Leadership
1. “Winners never quit and quitters never win.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
2. “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
3. “The man on top of the mountain didn’t fall there.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
4. “The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
5. “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
6. “Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
7. “Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
8. “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
9. “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.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
10. “The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
11. “Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man. But sooner or later, the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
12. “Winning isn’t everything, but the will to win is everything.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
13. “The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
14. “Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
15. “The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
16. “I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
17. “Most people fail, not because of lack of desire, but, because of lack of commitment.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
18. “If winning isn’t everything, why do they keep score?” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
19. “If you can accept losing, you can’t win.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
Inspirational Vince Lombardi Quotes
20. “The quality of a man’s life is in direct proportion to his commitment to excellence, regardless of his chosen field of endeavor.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
21. “Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
22. “Everyone Has A Will To Win But Very Few Have The Will To Prepare To Win.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
23. “It’s not whether you got knocked down; it’s whether you get back up.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
24. “Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
25. “Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a teamwork, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
26. “We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
27. “Praise in public; criticize in private.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
28. “If you are five minutes early, you are already ten minutes late.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
29. “We will be relentless in our pursuit for perfection. We won’t ever be perfect – but in the process, we will achieve greatness.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
30. “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
31. “In great attempts, it is glorious even to fail.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
32. “We didn’t lose the game; we just ran out of time.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
33. “Leaders are not born, they’re made.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
34. “Mental toughness is essential to success.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
Famous Vince Lombardi Quotes
35. “You’ve got to keep yourself in prime physical condition because fatigue makes cowards of us all.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
36. “Hard work is the price we must pay for success.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
37. “If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
38. “The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That’s real glory. That’s the essence of it.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
39. “Winning is not a some time thing; it’s an all-time thing. You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
40. “Success demands singleness of purpose.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
41. “You carry on no matter what are the obstacles. You simply refuse to give up – and, when the going gets tough, you get tougher. And, you win.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
42. “There’s only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
43. “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing. If you can shrug off a loss, you can never be a winner!” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
44. “Success is not a sometimes thing. In other words, you don’t do what is right once in awhile, but all the time. Success is a habit. Winning is a habit.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
45. “The good Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything. It’s your mind you have to convince.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
46. “The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
47. “Gentlemen, we will chase perfection, and we will chase it relentlessly, knowing all the while we can never attain it. But along the way, we shall catch excellence.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
48. “Inches make champions.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
49. “Preparedness is the ultimate confidence builder.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
50. “If you’ll not settle for anything less than your best, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish in your lives.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
51. “Teamwork is what the Green Bay Packers were all about. They didn’t do it for individual glory. They did it because they loved one another.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
52. “It is time for us all to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever – the one who recognizes the challenges and does something about it.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
53. “Watch your actions, they become your habits. Watch your habits, they become your character.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
54. “If you cheat yourself in practice, you’ll cheat yourself in a game; and if you cheat in a game, you’ll cheat yourself for the rest of your life.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
55. “Mental toughness is a state of mind – you could call it ‘character in action.’” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
56. “The Green Bay Packers never lost a football game. They just ran out of time.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
57. “I’ve never known a man worth his salt who, in the long run, deep down in his heart, didn’t appreciate the grind, the discipline.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
58. “The best game plan in the world never blocked or tackled anybody.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
59. “Champions make their own luck.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
60. “The man who wins, is the man who thinks he can.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
61. “I think good physical conditioning is essential to any occupation. A man who is physically fit performs better at any job. Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
62. “Leadership is not just one quality, but rather a blend of many qualities; and while no one individual possesses all of the needed talents that go into leadership, each man can develop a combination to make him a leader.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
63. “Success rests not only on ability, but upon commitment, loyalty, and pride.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
64. “It is essential to understand that battles are primarily won in the hearts of men.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
65. “We win our games in practice. We learn and follow the fundamentals of our game better than anyone in the league. All of our games are won in practice.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
66. “The joy is in creating, not maintaining.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
67. “Football isn’t a contact sport; it’s a collision sport. Dancing is a contact sport…” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
68. “If you really want something, you can have it if you’re willing to pay the price. And the price means you have to work better and harder than the next guy.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
69. “I will demand a commitment to excellence and to victory, and that is what life is all about.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
70. “When you travel with the team and you eat with the team – you eat what the team eats.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
71. “A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
72. “To achieve success, whatever the job we have, we must pay a price.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
73. “In order to succeed, this group will need a singleness of purpose, they will need a dedication, and they will have to convince all of their prospects of the willingness to sacrifice.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
74. “We know how rough the road will be, how heavy here the load will be, we know about the barricades that wait along the track, but we have set our soul ahead upon a certain goal ahead and nothing left from hell to sky shall ever turn us back.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
Inspiring Vince Lombardi Quotes
75. “If you get into the endzone, act as if you’ve been there before.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
76. “Football is like life – it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
77. “Second place is meaningless. You can’t always be first, but you have to believe that you should have been – that you were never beaten – that time just ran out on you.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
78. “There is only one kind of discipline, and that is the perfect discipline. As a leader, you must enforce and maintain that discipline; otherwise, you will fail at your job.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
79. “Many more things would be accomplished if we didn’t consider them impossible.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
80. “If you give me anything less than your best, you’re not only cheating yourself. your coaches, your teammates, everybody in Green Bay, and everything pro football stands for. You’re also cheating the Maker who gave you the talent.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
81. “One comes to believe whatever one repeats to oneself sufficiently often, whether the statement be true or false. It comes to be the dominating thought in one’s mind.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
82. “While statistics are interesting, they’re all in the past.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
83. “They do not truly love who do not show their love.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
84. “Offensively, you do what you do best and you do it again and again. Defensively, you attack your opponent’s strength.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
85. “If a man is running down the street with everything you own, you won’t let him get away. That’s tackling.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
86. “A team that thinks it’s going to lose is going to lose.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
87. “A disciplined person is the one who follows the will of the one who gives the orders.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
88. “We shall play every game to the hilt with every ounce of fiber we have in our bodies.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
89. “In a game like a football, where you have very little time to decide what you are going to do, you have to react almost instinctively, naturally.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
90. “A good executive goes around with a worried look on his assistants.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
91. “The challenge of every team is to build a feeling of oneness, of dependence on one another because the question is usually not how well each person performs, but how well they work together.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
92. “Morally, the life of the organization must be of exemplary nature. This is one phase where the organization must not have criticism.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
93. “I would say that the quality of each man’s life is the full measure of that man’s commitment of excellence and victory – whether it be football, whether it be business, whether it be politics or government or what have you.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
94. “Faithfulness and truth are the most sacred excellences and endowments of the human mind.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
95. “We don’t pray to win. We pray to play the best we can, and to keep us free from injury. And the prayer we say after the game is one of thanksgiving.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
96. “It is and has always been an American zeal to be first in everything we do, and to win…” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
Vince Lombardi Quotes for Motivation
97. “If you’re lucky enough to find a guy with a lot of head and a lot of heart, he’s never going to come off the field second.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
98. “The objective is to win: fairly, squarely, decently, win by the rules, but still win.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
99. “One must not hesitate to innovate and change with the times. The leader who stands still is not progressing, and he will not remain a leader for long.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
100. “To the winner, there is 100-percent elation, 100-percent fun, 100-percent laughter; and yet the only thing left to the loser is resolution and determination.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
101. “Winning is not the most important thing; it’s everything.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
102. “The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
103. “There’s no such thing as Perfection. But, in striving for perfection, we can achieve excellence.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
104. “Build for your team a feeling of oneness, of dependence on one another and of strength to be derived by unity.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
105. “Once a man has made a commitment to a way of life, he puts the greatest strength in the world behind him. It’s something we call heart power. Once a man has made this commitment, nothing will stop him short of success.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
106. “If you don’t think you’re a winner, you don’t belong here.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
107. “Some of us will do our jobs well and some will not, but we will be judged by only one thing-the result.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
108. “The strength of the group is the strength of the leaders.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
109. “I don’t necessarily have to like my players and associates but as their leader I must love them. Love is loyalty, love is teamwork, love respects the dignity of the individual. This is the strength of any organization.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
110. “It’s easy to have faith in yourself and have discipline when you’re a winner, when you’re number one. What you got to have is faith and discipline when you’re not a winner.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
111. “Show me a good loser, and I’ll show you a loser.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
112. “You never win a game unless you beat the guy in front of you. The score on the board doesn’t mean a thing. That’s for the fans. You’ve got to win the war with the man in front of you. You’ve got to get your man.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
113. “Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you’re willing to pay the price.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
114. “The darkest moments of our lives are not to be buried and forgotten, rather they are a memory to be called upon for inspiration to remind us of the unrelenting human spirit and our capacity to overcome the intolerable.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
115. “Mistakes are the necessary steps in the learning process; once they have served their purpose, they should be forgotten and not repeated.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
116. “Leaders are made, they are not born.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
117. “Those who have invested the most are the last to surrender.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
118. “When you’re tired, you rationalize. You make excuses in your mind. You say, “I’m too tired; I’m bushed; I can’t do this; I’ll loaf.” Then you’re a coward.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
119. “Nobody is hurt. Hurt is in the mind. If you can walk, you can run.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
120. “The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
121. “Unless a man believes in himself and makes a total commitment to his career and puts everything he has into it – his mind, his body, his heart – what’s life worth to him?” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
122. “Gentleman, this is a football.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
123. “There are three things important to every man in this locker room. His God, his family, and the Green Bay Packers. In that order.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
124. “Leadership is based on a spiritual quality; the power to inspire, the power to inspire others to follow.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
125. “Don’t succumb to excuses. Go back to the job of making the corrections and forming the habits that will make your goal possible.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
126. “You defeat defeatism with confidence.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
127. “Mental toughness is Spartanism, with all its qualities of self-denial, sacrifice, dedication, fearlessness, and love.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
128. “The successful man is himself. To be successful, you’ve got to be honest with yourself.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
Short Vince Lombardi Quotes
129. “Once a man has made his commitment, nothing will stop him short of success.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
130. “Brains without competitive hearts are rudderless.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
131. “If it doesn’t matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score?” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
132. “Choose to achieve perfection. We won’t achieve it because perfection is impossible. But by pursuing perfection, we will achieve excellence.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
133. “Each of us, if we would grow, must be committed to excellence. The championships, the money, the color; all of these things linger only in the memory. It is the spirit, the will to excel, the will to win; these are the things that endure.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
134. “Success is like anything worthwhile. It has a price. You have to pay the price to get to the point where success is possible.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
135. “I don’t build character. I eliminate the people who don’t have it.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
136. “Football is blocking and tackling. Everything else is mythology.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
137. “Live as if you were living already for the second time.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
138. “Once you agree upon the price you and your family must pay for success, it enables you to ignore the minor hurts, the opponent’s pressure, and the temporary failures.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
139. “I think you’ve got to pay the price for anything that’s worthwhile, and success is paying the price. You’ve got to pay the price to win, you’ve got to pay the price to stay on top, and you’ve got to pay the price to get there.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
140. “It is essential to understand that battles are primarily won in the hearts of men. Men respond to leadership in a most remarkable way and once you have won his heart, he will follow you anywhere.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
141. “Gentlemen, we are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
142. “The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good. Ann Landers It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get back up.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
143. “There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game and that is the first place. I have finished second twice in my time at Green Bay and I never want to finish second again.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
144. “To me, the big thing in being a successful team is the repetition of what you’re doing, either by word of mouth, blackboard or specifically by work on the field. You repeat, repeat, repeat as a unit.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
145. “People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses or the problems of modern society.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
146. “Some need a whip and others a pat on the back and others are better off when they are ignored.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
147. “Coaches who can outline plays on a blackboard are a dime a dozen. The ones who win get inside their player and motivate.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
148. “I derived my strength from daily mass and communion.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
149. “Football is a great deal like life in that it teaches that work, sacrifice, perseverance, competitive drive, selflessness, and respect for authority are the price each and every one of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
150. “Before I can embrace freedom, I should be aware of what duties I have.” ~ (Vince Lombardi).
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Short Biography of Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas Lombardi, born June 11, 1913, and passing on September 3, 1970, was a legendary American football coach known for his leadership with the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches in sports history, he led the Packers to five NFL Championships and the first two Super Bowls.
| Full Name | Vincent Thomas Lombardi |
| Born | 11 June 1913, Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Died | 3 September 1970 (age 57 years), MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, D.C., United States |
| High School | St. Francis Prep |
| College | Fordham |
| Undrafted | 1937 |
| Grandchild | Joe Lombardi |
| Children | Susan Lombardi, Vince Lombardi |
| Parents | Enrico Lombardi, Matilda Izzo |
Lombardi started his coaching career in high school, later coaching at Fordham, West Point, and with the New York Giants, before his significant tenure in Green Bay and a brief stint with the Washington Redskins.
Quick Facts about Vince Lombardi
- Vince Lombardi was born on June 11, 1913, in Brooklyn, New York.
- He initially studied to become a Catholic priest before switching to a career in sports.
- Lombardi played football at Fordham University as part of the “Seven Blocks of Granite.”
- He started his coaching career at St. Cecilia High School in New Jersey.
- Lombardi never had a losing season as an NFL head coach.
- His NFL regular-season winning percentage was a remarkable 73.8%.
- Lombardi won the first two Super Bowls with the Green Bay Packers in 1966 and 1967.
- He coached the Green Bay Packers from 1959 to 1967 and the Washington Redskins in 1969.
- Lombardi’s Packers won five NFL Championships in seven years during the 1960s.
- He passed away from cancer on September 3, 1970, at the age of 57.
- The NFL Super Bowl trophy was named in his honor shortly after his death.
- He was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.
- Lombardi’s parents were immigrants from Italy, settling in Sheepshead Bay.
- He served as an altar boy and attended mass daily throughout his life.
- Vince Lombardi was deeply committed to civil rights and anti-discrimination.
- He implemented a policy of non-discrimination among his players, insisting on equal treatment in all venues.
- Lombardi was known for his stern discipline and high standards.
- Before coaching, Lombardi taught chemistry, physics, and Latin at St. Cecilia.
- He played a key role in integrating the Green Bay Packers, adding 13 Black players to the team by 1967.
- Lombardi’s coaching record includes a 90% winning rate in postseason games.
- He briefly worked at Fordham University and the U.S. Military Academy as a coach before joining the NFL.
- As a child, Lombardi helped his father in his meat cutting business.
- He was part of the coaching staff for the New York Giants before moving to Green Bay.
- Lombardi once considered a political career; Richard Nixon thought about him as a potential vice-presidential candidate.
- His strategic innovations included the famous “Packers Sweep.”
- Lombardi was known for his commitment to execution and discipline, influenced by his time at West Point.
- He led the Packers to three consecutive NFL championships from 1965 to 1967.
- The city of Green Bay nicknamed him “The Pope” because of his leadership and moral authority.
- Lombardi emphasized teamwork and character over individual talent.
- His legacy as a coach and leader remains influential in American sports culture.
Top Questions about Vince Lombardi
A: Before becoming a coach, Vince Lombardi was a teacher, instructing students in chemistry, physics, and Latin at St. Cecilia High School in New Jersey.
A: Lombardi was a staunch advocate for civil rights and implemented a strict non-discrimination policy, ensuring all players received equal treatment in all venues.
A: Vince Lombardi never experienced a losing season throughout his NFL coaching career.
A: The “Packers Sweep” is a strategic football play famously associated with Vince Lombardi.
A: Vince Lombardi attended mass daily and served as an altar boy. He also studied briefly to become a Catholic priest before pursuing a career in sports.
A: Vince Lombardi led the Green Bay Packers to victory in the first two Super Bowls in 1966 and 1967.
A: The NFL Super Bowl trophy was named in Vince Lombardi’s honor shortly after his death.
A: Growing up, Lombardi helped in his father’s meat-cutting business, which instilled in him a strong work ethic that later influenced his disciplined coaching style.
