NFL Countdown: Vince Lombardi's death in 1970 leaves league with unfillable void

Vince Lombardi left an unfillable void in the NFL as a coach, executive, and figurehead for the Green Bay Packers when he passed away in 1970 at the age of 57. His tragic passing came as the result of anaplastic carcinoma in his colon, a fast-growing malignant cancer in which the cells barely resemble their normal appearance.

Per his namesake's website, VinceLombardi.com, some of his most notable career highlights include beginning his head coaching run with the Green Bay Packers in 1959. He was named NFL Coach of the Year for the same season. The iconic Packer went on to win 5 NFL Championships, including Super Bowls I and II, during his tenure with the Green Bay Packers.

For his notable efforts and achievements, he was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Moreover, the famous "Super Bowl Trophy" was renamed to the “Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy” within a year of his death.

For a man who didn't get the chance to play in a pro football league, Lombardi left a legacy that may never be surpassed.

Vince Lombardi was a legend at Fordham in New York City

A scrappy five-foot-eight 185-pounder from Sheepshead Bay, Vince Lombardi had to work harder than a lot of the players in the trenches he faced.

Per the Fordham University website's 'Hall of Honor' section, Lombardi left a pronounced impression on Fordham head coach Jim Crowley. His impression led to a featured role on the 'Seven Blocks of Granite' offensive front:

"Lombardi’s hard-nosed style of play, coupled with his infectious enthusiasm for the game he so evidently loved, quickly endeared the young undergraduate to Fordham Coach “Sleepy” Jim Crowley, who anchored Lombardi to the Rams’ imposing front line, the famed Seven Blocks of Granite."

It continued:

"Behind this unit, the Rams dominated college football and were a fixture at the top of the Associated Press’ popular weekly poll, which first appeared in 1936, Lombardi’s senior year."

Vince Lombardi built his legacy with Army football

After a brief playing career in the American Association, Lombardi made his return to the Bronx to coach the Fordham Rams freshman football and basketball teams in 1947. By 1948, he was the assistant football coach for the Varsity Rams and he parlayed that into an assistant coaching role with Army football in West Point, New York.

Per Fordham's 'Hall of Honor', this is where Lombardi started to become the head coaching legend that has grown synonymous with many champions to this day:

"As an assistant coach for the United States Military Academy at West Point, Lombardi further developed his football acumen under legendary head coach Colonel Red Blaik."

It continued:

"Blaik’s emphasis on execution—combined with the Jesuit philosophy of duty, responsibility, and the exercise of free will Lombardi learned at Fordham—greatly influenced the future Hall of Famer’s approach to the game."

Things weren't always great with the Black Knights for Vince Lombardi and the rest of his coaching staff. Particularly during the 1951 and 1952 seasons when Army went 2-7 and 4-4-1, equaling the total losses under Coach Earl H. “Red” Blaik in his previous ten seasons.

However, the 1953 season went down as one of the greatest single-season turnarounds of all time. Army football went 7-1-1, ending the season with a 20-7 victory over Navy in front of over 100,000 fans in Philadelphia.

Vince Lombardi finds his NFL home in Green Bay

In 1959, a partnership that would go on to define one of the NFL's greatest franchises started when Vince Lombardi was hired as head coach of the Green Bay Packers. This came after a 4-year stint as the offensive coordinator of the New York Giants.

Lombardi never had a losing season during his nine years in Green Bay, recording a 9-1 postseason record in the process. As previously mentioned, the Brooklyn-born led the Packers to five NFL championships, including the first two Super Bowls. Lombardi was the last HC to coach a team to three consecutive championships, something even Bill Belichick couldn't do,

Vince Lombardi had more to give as a coach

In an interview with the infamous Buddy Diliberto, Lombardi spoke about his love for coaching compared to being a front office executive:

"I still think I have a lot more to give to the game and coaching is like teaching and I love to teach, and I also like to see the benefits of those teachings. I learned about things in my year away from coaching, but what I learned the most about was the special relationship I had with my players and coaches. As a coach/general manager you have to deal with family issues, pressures in being a professional athlete and also learning life issues from them."

He continued:

"I am not too old to not learn from young people in life. There is nothing in life that can fill that gap in forming that relationship with them as a person individually and as a team. It’s gratifying to be part of something special and having success in that venture."

The NFL will likely never fill the gap created by Lombardi's shocking death in 1970. He was a social justice leader before it was trendy to be one in sports, as evidenced by his attitude towards signing non-white players to his team:

"I am not afraid to lose. I care about piecing together a group of men who, from different backgrounds, different schools, different thoughts about politics and life, and having them work for one goal. We have too many people who breed hate, prejudice and some that want something without really working for it. That won’t be tolerated here. It will be done one way - my way."