Vince Lombardi Quotes

Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.

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.

Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser.

We shall play every game to the hilt with every ounce of fiber we have in our bodies.

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.

To achieve success, whatever the job we have, we must pay a price

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.

As soon as error is corrected, it is important that the error be forgotten and only the successful attempts be remembered. Errors, mistakes, and humiliations are all necessary steps in the learning process. Once they have served their purpose, they should be forgotten. If we constantly dwell upon the errors, then the error or failure becomes the goal.

Relentlessly pursue perfection knowing we won't catch it, but in the process we'll achieve excellence.

Running a football team is no different than running any other kind of organization.

When we place our dependence in God, we are unencumbered, and we have no worry. In fact, we may even be reckless, insofar as our part in the production is concerned. This confidence, this sureness of action, is both contagious and an aid to the perfect action. The rest is in the hands of God - and this is the same God, gentlemen, who has won all His battles up to now.

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.

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.

People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society.

Winning isn't everything, but striving to win is.

Morally, the life of the organization must be of exemplary nature. This is one phase where the organization must not have criticism.

Gentlemen, we are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it, because nothing is perfect. But we are going to relentlessly chase it, because in the process we will catch excellence. I am not remotely interested in just being good.

Mental toughness is many things. It is humility because it behooves all of us to remember that simplicity is the sign of greatness and meekness is the sign of true strength. Mental toughness is spartanism with qualities of sacrifice, self-denial, dedication. It is fearlessness, and it is love.

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.

A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall.

If a man is running down the street with everything you own, you won't let him get away. That's tackling.

Hard work is the price we must pay for success

Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing. If you can shrug off a loss, you can never be a winner!

The strength of the group is the strength of the leaders.

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

Football is blocking and tackling. Everything else is mythology.

It does not matter how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get up.

Football is like life - it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.

They do not truly love who do not show their love.

To play this game (football) you must have fire in you, and there is nothing that strokes fire like hate.

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.

If you are not making mistakes, you are not trying hard enough.

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.

To me, a leader is a visionary that energizes others. This definition of leadership has two key dimensions: a) creating the vision of the future, and b) inspiring others to make the vision a reality.

winning is not everything it is the only thing

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.

A good executive goes around with a worried look on his assistants.

Fatigue makes cowards of us all.

I said, 'You missed practice yesterday didn't you?' The player replied, 'No coach, not a bit.'

If you are five minutes early, you are already ten minutes late.

Football is and always will be a game of blocking and hitting

The objective is to win: fairly, squarely, decently, win by the rules, but still win.

The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That's real glory. That's the essence of it.

All right mister, let me tell you that winning means you're willing to go longer, work harder, give more than anyone else.

One's desire, not ability, determines success.

You defeat defeatism with confidence.

Most people fail, not because of lack of desire, but, because of lack of commitment.

Praise in public; criticize in private.