Lombardi and Me: Players, Coaches, and Colleagues Talk About the Man and the Myth - Softcover

Hornung, Paul; Reed, Billy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1600780393 ISBN 13: 9781600780394

Publisher: Triumph Books, 2007

Synopsis

Explaining the legendary Vince Lombardi through the words of the men who knew him the best, this book describes Lombardi’s efforts and qualities that defined an era of football and captured the attention of the nation Former player Paul Hornung, one of Lombardi’s biggest challenges and brightest stars of his time, interviews the players, coaches, reporters, family, and friends, including Bart Starr, Larry Brown, Frank Gifford, Bill Curry, Vince Lombardi Jr., and many more. These men share captivating stories and an insight into illustrate the unequalled blend of personality quirks and character traits that made Lombardi so magnetic and one of the most well-respected coaches ever.

About this title

From the Publisher:

"Doing this book has been a labor of love for me. A love for football, for the era in which I played, and for the guys I played with and against. But mostly, a love for Vince Lombardi. After all these years, he stills lives in the hearts of all of us. I hope that this book does a little bit to explain why." -from the introduction by Paul Hornung

"And his emotions- he could cry very easily...We had a new home and he came over to visit us...He was praising Sherri for the job she had done, and she said, `Well, Coach, you're the one who made this possible...we wouldn't be here, except for you.'...And tears up immediately and walks over and gives her a big hug. When he turned around, he had tears running down his face. He came over and hugged me, and then he turned around and walked right out the door." -Bart Starr

"One play I missed a block. The next time I jumped offside. He jumped in and just reamed me out. He had me looking down, checking my shoelaces. I felt awful...After practice, I went to the locker room and I really thinking aabout packing it in. I really thought it was my time for me to do something else. I had been there quite awhile when Vince finally came into the locker room and he saw me sitting there. He came over and patted me on the back. Then he tousled my hair. `Son, he said, `don't you know that someday you're going to be the best guard in football?' That really got something started inside me." - Jerry Kramer.

From the Inside Flap:

More than 35 years after his death in 1970, Vince Lombardi is still widely considered one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century. He extolled the virtues of discipline, dedication, and determination and convincingly backed up his claims by leading a once downtrodden Green Bay Packers franchise to five world titles in nine seasons. Lombardi was beloved throughout the city of Green Bay—by his players, coaches, media, and fans alike. There were certainly those on his own teams and throughout the league whose relationships with the coach were more contentious than cordial, but he was universally respected, and he had the uncanny ability to make everyone around him willing to go to any length to earn his respect in return. One of the players whom Lombardi loved and respected most was Hall of Famer Paul Hornung. Hornung was dubbed the "Golden Boy" during his college career at Notre Dame and went on to become the centerpiece of Lombardi’s championship teams in Green Bay. Hornung’s off-the-field exploits often commanded the same attention as his game-day accomplishments, and his charismatic nature attracted a national spotlight onto otherwise sleepy Green Bay throughout much of the 1960s. Despite their run-ins, or, perhaps, partly as a result of them, Lombardi and Hornung were in many ways like father and son. The star player constantly tested his coach’s patience and often needed to be reined in, but Lombardi had tremendous respect for Hornung’s competitive fire and leadership, as well as his teammates’ adoration for him. Hornung was equally enamored with Lombardi, and the driving force behind this unique collection of stories was his desire to examine the man and the legend from a number of different perspectives. Hornung reached out to his old teammates, other NFL dignitaries, and a few others who knew Lombardi intimately and compiled these fascinating personal recollections and accounts of the greatest all-time football coach at work and at play. The result of Hornung’s efforts is quite possibly the most honest and revealing look at Lombardi’s remarkable life and career.

About this edition

• Publisher: Triumph Books
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1600780393
• ISBN 13: 9781600780394
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192