Speakers: Richard Gunderman is Professor of Radiology at the IU School of Medicine. He is a Scientech Member and frequent contributor.
The life and career of Vince Lombardi includes the Green Bay Packers winning five championships in seven years, including the first two Super Bowls. Although he is associated with the view that 'Winning isn't everything - it's the only thing,' Lombardi in fact thought there are things more important than winning in both football and life.
These lessons have applied to those working in scientific discovery and the inventions that changed our lives and our society. Steve Jobs, Thomas Edison, and the Curies are a few examples.
Program: Live and Zoom: Lessons on Winning from America’s Second Greatest Coach
Speaker: Richard Gunderman, MD, PhD, Professor of Radiology, IU School of Medicine.
Introduced By: Marty Meisenheimer
Attendance: NESC: 85; Zoom: 32
Guest(s): Sandra Ditusa, Plank Langherb (apologies for mistakes)
Scribe: Bill Dick
Editor: Bill Elliott
View a Zoom recording of this talk at: Today's Program 011325
Dr. Gunderman recommended this book as the best on Vince Lombard – “When Pride Still Mattered.”
Before delivering his talk, Dr. Gunderman gave us a review of IU’s Mini Medical School, which is for high school students. They spend a day at IU learning many things about medicine. It has been a very successful adventure. The Scientech Foundation has supported the Mini Med School for several years. More at: Mini Medical School 2023
Vince Lombardi was considered the second-best sports coach after John Wooden, the basketball player and coach. Lombardi was the oldest son of a butcher. His father was very strong. Vince, though not big, was strong too. Vince was thinking about being a priest until he discovered football and girls. He played right guard for Fordham College in the Bronx. He was 5 foot eight inches tall and weighed 180 lbs. He was one of the “Seven Blocks Granite.” He was not as talented as others, but he was still very good.
After college, he coached St. Cecelia H.S., taking them to be the top school in the nation in 1943. He won six state championships. He also taught Latin, Chemistry and Physics. In 1947, he went to Fordham, where he coached freshman football and basketball. Next stop for Lombardi was West Point, where he was the Offensive Line Coach and assistant coach.
Lombardi went to pro football after the Army stint and became Offensive Coordinator for the NY Giants. Tom Landry was the defensive coach. What a team! Lombardi told the runner to “Run to Daylight.”
When he was hired by Green Bay, the family did not know where it was. The Packers had just had a bad 1958 season – 1-10-1. The following year they were 7-5, and the players carried Lombardi off the field. In 1960, they won the Western Conference title; in 1961 and 1962, the Packers won the NFL title. In 1963 and 1964, they were second in the West. Then in 1965 they won another NFL championship. Finally, in 1966 and 1967 they won the first two Super Bowls.
Lombardi stressed leadership. Refuse to yield, ignore fatigue and if you get knocked down, get back up. The Packers best play was the power sweep. They did not invent the play, but they perfected it. The right guard led the play, followed by the left guard, then fullback Jim Taylor and then the ball carrier – Paul Horning. If Horning got to the five-yard line, he was going to score. Lombardi emphasized teamwork, character and love of your fellow players.
If Lombardi was on your case, you knew that he liked you. One time, however, he criticized quarterback Bart Starr in front of his teammates. Starr talked privately to the coach the following day and asked if he was to be criticized, to do it in private, not in front of the team. Lombardi never did it again. Lombardi was a great psychologist and a great leader. He won with brains, heart, and sportsmanship. Cheating was not tolerated, nor was there discrimination. Later, Lombardi was presented with Fordham’s Insignis Medal for being “a great teacher.” It was the happiest day of his life.
Vince Lombardi designed the Super Bowl ring. Engraved were the words “Character and Love.”
Green Bay’s teams were great because of those two words. Lombardi was a man of faith who attended church every day. Vince Lombardi died on Sept 3, 1970, at age 57. The cause was anaplastic colon cancer, a very aggressive tumor. His players visited Lombardi in the hospital at the end.
Richard Gunderman
