1 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: From around the late forties to the late sixties. Times 2 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: were hard for Washington, hard in a way they had 3 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:24,079 Speaker 1: never been before. Losing season after losing season, back to 4 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: back one win seasons, a far cry from the juggernaut 5 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:34,920 Speaker 1: it was. During those earliest NFL years, Washington's front office 6 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: was desperate to turn the situation around, and in those days, 7 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:46,199 Speaker 1: if winning was the goal, there was one man you 8 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 1: wanted leading your team. This is hail tales stories from 9 00:00:56,240 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: Washington football history. The Lombardi year. Let's be clear, Vince 10 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: Lombardi to Washington shouldn't have even been on the table. 11 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 2: This is David Marenis. I'm the author of When Pride 12 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:17,040 Speaker 2: Still Mattered, the biography of Vitz Lombardi. 13 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: The green Bay Packers head coach, had already cemented himself 14 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: as perhaps the greatest ever. He never had a losing 15 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: season as head coach in the NFL, brought Green Bay 16 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: five NFL championships in seven years, including the league's first 17 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 1: two Super Bowls. In his eyes, it was time to 18 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: move on. 19 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 2: Lombardi retired as a coach for the Packers after the 20 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 2: second Super Bowl in early nineteen sixty eight, and for 21 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 2: the next year he was only the general manager of 22 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 2: the team. 23 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:52,559 Speaker 1: The pivot from coach to general manager was a challenging one. 24 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 3: He couldn't stand not being with the players. 25 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 2: He would make so much noise up in his place 26 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 2: next to the press box at Packer game that they 27 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 2: had to sound proof. He was very unhappy for that year. 28 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 2: It was also he wanted to get back into coaching. 29 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 2: It was also a time when the world of professional 30 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 2: football was changing. The players were getting more power, and 31 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 2: Lombardy wanted to figure out how to deal with that. 32 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 2: And he was also frustrated in that he wanted to 33 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 2: have some part of ownership and he couldn't get that 34 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:28,920 Speaker 2: with the Packers because, wonderfully, in my opinion, there was 35 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 2: no owner of the Packers. It was owned by the community. 36 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 2: So that combined with the fact that in Washington, the 37 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 2: owner of the Redskins, Edward Bennett Williams, believed in what 38 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:45,639 Speaker 2: he called competition living, and to him, the patron saint 39 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:49,640 Speaker 2: of that form of life was Vince Lombardi. They were 40 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 2: both Catholics, they both loved to win. Williams would do 41 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 2: anything to get Lombardy to be the coach. 42 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:02,639 Speaker 4: Of course, Edward Williams seriously managing partner of the Redskins 43 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 4: organization at the time was always full of surprises. 44 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 1: Mike Bragg punter for Washington from nineteen sixty eight to 45 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:11,959 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy nine. 46 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:16,679 Speaker 4: And he was a great speaker, a great salesman, a 47 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 4: great attorney in the courtroom obviously, and you know he 48 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 4: talked Coach Lombardi out of retirement. My first year in 49 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:29,399 Speaker 4: nineteen sixty eight, we played the Packers at home, and 50 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 4: I remember coming on. 51 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 5: The field to warm up. 52 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 4: Vince Lombardi was then the general manager and he was 53 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 4: sitting in the owner's box at RK. I come on 54 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 4: the field and I look up and I see the 55 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 4: owner's box and there's Bence Lombardi with his camel hair 56 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 4: overcoat on his fedora and those glasses. 57 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 3: Ever. 58 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 4: I'm going, so wow, there's the old man. I had 59 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,640 Speaker 4: no idea that the next year he was coming out 60 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 4: of retirement coming to coach us. 61 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 1: In early nineteen sixty nine, Vince Lombardi became the head 62 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: coach and executive vice president of Washington and was given 63 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 1: a five percent stake in ownership. 64 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 6: That's the proudest moment of my life with the Redskins 65 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 6: to present. 66 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 7: To you. 67 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 3: Vince Lombardi. 68 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:19,919 Speaker 2: He got to Washington that spring, he was kind of 69 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 2: the toast of the town. It was actually early spring 70 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:27,360 Speaker 2: and Nixon had just been inaugurated as president, but Vince 71 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 2: Lombardi was the most popular guy in town. There's a 72 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:36,119 Speaker 2: scene in my book where he's with Williams walking into 73 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 2: Duke Ziebert's restaurant on Connecticut Avenue. 74 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:42,480 Speaker 3: Which was kind of a place where, you. 75 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 2: Know, sort of power brokers met, and they all rose 76 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:49,839 Speaker 2: to their feet and gave Lombardi a standing ovation. David Broder, 77 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:53,720 Speaker 2: the great political reporter for the Post, said, of all 78 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 2: the people in town, it was Lombardi, not Nixon, who 79 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 2: was the toast of the town that winter in spring. 80 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,840 Speaker 5: I'm very happy to he believe me, most happy to 81 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 5: be a Washington redskin. 82 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:07,040 Speaker 4: And he was very humble in front of the cameras 83 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 4: and the press, and he says, well, if possible, we'd 84 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 4: like to have our winner our first year. Okay, coach, yeah. 85 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 8: Webby or Cable win the first year of a second 86 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 8: I'd like to have a winn of the first year, 87 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 8: if possible. 88 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: He'd have a lot of work to do. Fullback Chuck Mercine, 89 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 1: who was with Washington for two separate periods in the 90 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:32,040 Speaker 1: nineteen sixties. Remembers what the team vibe was in his 91 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 1: pre Lombardy stint well. 92 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:36,160 Speaker 9: I was zerk first. It was kind of an old 93 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:38,280 Speaker 9: pals that kind of thing. Everybody would go out breaking 94 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 9: and we go fourth together. Sonny was kind of the ring leader, 95 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:44,480 Speaker 9: Sonny Jurgison. You could tell that it wasn't a really 96 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:45,600 Speaker 9: greatly disciplined change. 97 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 10: When Auto Graham was the coach, the players who would 98 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 10: have a. 99 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 1: Pool Tommy McBean, longtime equipment manager for Washington, they'd. 100 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:56,719 Speaker 10: All put in ten dollars or five dollars or whatever, 101 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 10: and they'd count how many times on would clap after 102 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 10: the play. Good play, three claps, and I have a 103 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:11,719 Speaker 10: chart and they would give me twenty dollars to keep 104 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 10: track of how many times he hit the clipboard with it. 105 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 1: When Lombardi joined, Washington had just wrapped up its ninth 106 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:21,159 Speaker 1: losing season in eleven years. 107 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 2: Lombardi was accustomed to coming into a situation like that. 108 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 2: When he'd come to the Green Day Packers in nineteen 109 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 2: fifty nine, they'd have several losing seasons in a row. 110 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:35,160 Speaker 2: The year before, they'd won only one game, he immediately 111 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 2: turned them round and created a winning season, and he 112 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:39,479 Speaker 2: thought he could do the same with the Redskins. So 113 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 2: there's no trouble at all for Lombardi. He liked starting over. 114 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 2: He knew that the Redskins, like the Packers of nineteen 115 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 2: fifty nine, had some raw talent. 116 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 3: He just needed to be put into shape. 117 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:54,719 Speaker 1: The players knew that everything was about to change. 118 00:06:56,520 --> 00:07:02,919 Speaker 11: Unbelievably over the top, crazy, mad, screaming, yelling, cussing. 119 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 9: Very disciplined, very tough guy, a guy who wasn't going 120 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 9: to be your best French for sure, but you know as. 121 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:14,120 Speaker 1: A leader like Chuck Mercine. Quarterback Mike Bass had had 122 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 1: some experience under Lombardi. Bass was originally drafted by the 123 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:21,080 Speaker 1: Packers in nineteen sixty seven, but was sold to the 124 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 1: Lions before the start of the season. 125 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:27,000 Speaker 8: And so I knew exactly what to expect, and from 126 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:28,200 Speaker 8: Chris Hanberger to. 127 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 3: The rest of him asking me, what was he like? 128 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 3: What can we expect? 129 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 8: It was going to be a different team all the time. 130 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 2: Lombardi was a tough coach, and you know, the mythology 131 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 2: revolves around us saying attributed to you know, winning isn't 132 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,720 Speaker 2: everything it's the only thing. It wasn't true. He wasn't 133 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 2: like that. A lot of coaches after Lombardi tried to 134 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:56,320 Speaker 2: pretend they were Lombardi and they were tough guys, but 135 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 2: they didn't understand the other part of it, which was 136 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 2: to Lombardy understood his players that they might sort of 137 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:05,760 Speaker 2: hate him on a daily basis, but loved him on 138 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 2: a larger scale, and the love side was actually stronger 139 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:12,680 Speaker 2: than the hate side. So his you know, like Sonny 140 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 2: Jurgen said, who was the quarterback of the Redskins, then 141 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:20,200 Speaker 2: called up Paul Horning, who was the star for the Packers, 142 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 2: and said, how am I going to deal with this guy? 143 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 2: Paul said to Sonny, Sonny, You're gonna love him because 144 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 2: he cares about his players, and he knows how to win, 145 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 2: and he has that balance of books. 146 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:35,800 Speaker 1: Sonny Jurgensen got in the best shape of his life. 147 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: Ahead of Lombardi's first season, All Pro linebackers Sam Huff 148 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:43,920 Speaker 1: came out of retirement to play for the coach. There 149 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:48,319 Speaker 1: was a different feeling in the air in Washington. Work 150 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 1: was underway to get that winner. Lombardi's first year. 151 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 12: The Lombardi era begins at high noon today for the Redskins. 152 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:59,320 Speaker 12: A total of sixty seven veterans and rookies are scheduled 153 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 12: to arrive in Harlyisle, Pennsylvania for the opening of training camp. 154 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 12: They will draw equipment and meet their new boss tonight 155 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 12: at the first team meeting. 156 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:11,840 Speaker 13: He was humorous to me in many ways. 157 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:15,719 Speaker 1: Former linebacker Chris Hanberger, a six time All Pro who 158 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:19,440 Speaker 1: played fourteen seasons with Washington from nineteen sixty five to 159 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy eight. 160 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 13: He was very strict on not many rules, but very 161 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:27,439 Speaker 13: strict about the ones that he had. And I mean, 162 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:30,840 Speaker 13: if he said a meeting started at eight o'clock and 163 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:34,719 Speaker 13: he walked in at ten minutes of, and then you 164 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 13: walked in at five minutes of, you're late and you're 165 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:38,959 Speaker 13: going to get fined. 166 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:41,400 Speaker 3: They called it Lombardi time. 167 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 1: You didn't want to be late, by his definition of 168 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 1: the word. You didn't want to find yourself on the 169 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:48,600 Speaker 1: wrong side of something he was strict about. 170 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 13: I remember one player, we're in the meeting and this 171 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:53,679 Speaker 13: other player, this player, he got injured I think in 172 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 13: the morning practice and training camp. He didn't show up 173 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 13: evidently for Tree meant when he should have before the 174 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:07,439 Speaker 13: afternoon practice. So we're in the meeting and Coach Lombardi 175 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 13: walks in. He's walking up the island and he starts 176 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:13,079 Speaker 13: talking and he mentioned the player's name, and he said, 177 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 13: you report to the Norfolk Neptunes by such and such. 178 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 13: He fired me right then and there for not showing 179 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 13: up for treatment. 180 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:27,920 Speaker 1: Lombardi was all about accountability. He was eagle eyed. 181 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 10: So one day at Lombardy he told the coaches, I'll 182 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 10: see inside. 183 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:32,480 Speaker 3: I want to talk to Tommy. 184 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:35,200 Speaker 10: Put his arm around me and we started continuing to 185 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 10: walk across the street and he says, Tommy, is there 186 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:39,400 Speaker 10: something you want to tell me. 187 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:43,199 Speaker 3: I said, well, what do you mean, coach? He says, 188 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:46,320 Speaker 3: you didn't take communion this morning. There's something you want. 189 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 10: To tell me, I said, coach, Coach, we scrimmaged in 190 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 10: the point down rain at the high school last night. 191 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 10: The equipment was so muddy that shoes, the uniforms. 192 00:10:57,640 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 3: I had to wash everything. I says. 193 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:01,440 Speaker 10: We were working until two thirty in the morning. 194 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:02,280 Speaker 3: He said, that's a. 195 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 1: Hell of excuse, and he wanted his guys to know 196 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:07,559 Speaker 1: he was always watching. 197 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:10,560 Speaker 5: He came up and said, uh, glad to have your 198 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:11,160 Speaker 5: training camp. 199 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:13,320 Speaker 3: We're going to have a great year. That's it. 200 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 5: I saw him thinking, wow, So that was it. 201 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:18,559 Speaker 14: And then we go on to the field that afternoon, 202 00:11:18,679 --> 00:11:20,520 Speaker 14: like an hour and a half or two hours later, 203 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 14: and he's watching me punt and I hit one that wasn't. 204 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:26,559 Speaker 4: So good, you know, off the side of the foot 205 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 4: a little bit. 206 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 5: He says, what the hell was that? And I'm going, Oh. 207 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:33,640 Speaker 5: He used to ride around on a golf cart and 208 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:36,080 Speaker 5: ride right up and put that golf cart which was 209 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 5: almost in your way, and he would sit there and wait, 210 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:42,600 Speaker 5: and you said, Okay, I better not get another one 211 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:42,960 Speaker 5: like that. 212 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 15: I better hit a good one. 213 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:46,600 Speaker 14: So he had a way that, you know, he could 214 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 14: get inside your head and put pressure on you. 215 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 4: He did it to everybody. 216 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,840 Speaker 1: John Jacoa played safety for Washington from nineteen seventy to 217 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy two. During his rookie year, he kept a 218 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:00,960 Speaker 1: diary of his time at training camp and remembers Lombardi's 219 00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:03,959 Speaker 1: attentiveness and the psychological effect that had. 220 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:07,400 Speaker 7: Lombardi seems to be everywhere and see everything. He watched 221 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:09,959 Speaker 7: me make a good play and shouted, that's the way 222 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:13,200 Speaker 7: to play football, son, and I felt about ten feet tall. 223 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 7: Then later I was beaten on a pass pattern, and 224 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:17,720 Speaker 7: he was on the other side of the field watching 225 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 7: a different drill, and I'm sure his back was turned 226 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:23,640 Speaker 7: to our drill, but he roared who was that defensive back? 227 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 7: My coach yelled who was Joqua? And he yelled, that's 228 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:28,439 Speaker 7: no way to play football. 229 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 8: Sun. 230 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:32,120 Speaker 7: I spent the rest of the afternoon trying my damness 231 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:33,240 Speaker 7: to be inconspicuous. 232 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:37,000 Speaker 1: He loved to push his team. There was undeniably a 233 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:39,840 Speaker 1: brutality to the environments he oversaw. 234 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 6: So I have. 235 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:48,160 Speaker 1: Some wonderful memories former Washington offensive lineman Ray Shonkey remembers, but. 236 00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 11: I also have some really tough times when I saw 237 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:53,800 Speaker 11: how the sky could drive you and you had to 238 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 11: learn to play hurt. 239 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 6: When though that happened to me. Yeah, with to call 240 00:12:58,880 --> 00:12:59,840 Speaker 6: the Hamburger. 241 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:02,359 Speaker 1: Drill former Washington tight end Pat Richter. 242 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 6: And it was a offensive person blocking against the linebacker, 243 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 6: and I had a single bar on the face mask 244 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:15,120 Speaker 6: and as elbow came up and hit me in the nose, 245 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:19,720 Speaker 6: and I realized that quite quickly and busted my nose, 246 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 6: and the other took a couple more blocks and were 247 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:28,120 Speaker 6: fairly successful a couple of blocks, and he mentioned one 248 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:30,280 Speaker 6: of the coaches back. Took a lot of guts for 249 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 6: the kid to do that. 250 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:33,800 Speaker 11: I played with knees so banged up, you know, and 251 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 11: he would scream at you, call your names if you 252 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 11: weren't tough enough. But you found out you could play. 253 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:41,760 Speaker 11: I played with a separated ribcage and hall I caught 254 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:45,440 Speaker 11: hard a breed and the pain was just excruciating. 255 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:47,240 Speaker 3: But I played with. 256 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 11: That sucker that was his top lineman. I mean it 257 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:52,559 Speaker 11: was it was crazy, but he was an inspiration. 258 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 1: This once in a generation coach had players wanting to 259 00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 1: put their body on the line. He was clear about 260 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:03,280 Speaker 1: how much he cared about them as ballplayers and as men. 261 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:05,840 Speaker 11: When we were coming back from Dallas, and remember he 262 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:08,360 Speaker 11: came up to me and he started rubbing my shoulders 263 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 11: and telling me how proud he was of. 264 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 3: Me and how excited he was. 265 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:15,200 Speaker 11: He's looking forward to playing again with me next year, 266 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 11: you know. And I was just you know, like this is, 267 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 11: you know, like God blessing you. 268 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:23,200 Speaker 6: He also had a humanity part, where you say, even 269 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 6: though you put yourself at risk, take it easy to 270 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 6: make sure that you protect yourself in that regard, even 271 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 6: though you've done something that was a little bit off 272 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:35,240 Speaker 6: the wall, so to speak. So he was a great 273 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:40,720 Speaker 6: relationship that we had the players. The coach. I demanded 274 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 6: very much everything that you had. Yeah, you realize that, 275 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 6: Yet here was an opportunity for me be successful, to 276 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:50,720 Speaker 6: win games we had not went in the past. 277 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:56,040 Speaker 1: When they did. Lombardi's presence had an immediate effect, as 278 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 1: Washington would put together it's best season in two decades, 279 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:01,200 Speaker 1: and you could just see. 280 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:04,359 Speaker 5: The difference in the team, the toughness of the team. 281 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:06,520 Speaker 9: And I think everyone realized that he was turning that 282 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 9: franchise around. 283 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:10,200 Speaker 3: He saw that there was enough talent there. 284 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 2: I just needed to be organized and motivated, and those 285 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 2: are two things that Lombardy was the best thing. 286 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 10: The discipline completely changed under coach Lombardi. Coach Lombardi demanded 287 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 10: excellence and precise. 288 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:27,360 Speaker 3: Dedication. 289 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:31,560 Speaker 10: And he used to say, is what you're doing about 290 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 10: to do bringing you any closer term mein objective winning 291 00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:36,840 Speaker 10: and winning isn't just football winning. 292 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 1: His life, the lessons Lombardi imparted on his players went 293 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 1: far beyond the football field. 294 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 9: I just had always had a feeling that you know, 295 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 9: you just never give up, never quit, you know that 296 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 9: kind of philosophy one hundred tempers that effort. You're going 297 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:53,840 Speaker 9: to get knocked down, but get backed off. You know 298 00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 9: that kind of thing. 299 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:56,960 Speaker 6: You knew that when you were doing with football. Whatever 300 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:01,640 Speaker 6: you're doing, whether you're in banking or in police player, whatever, 301 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:05,680 Speaker 6: people come to you for advice and counsel, and when 302 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:07,280 Speaker 6: they do that, you got to give him their best 303 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 6: shot and not take a slovenly careless attitude because something 304 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:15,720 Speaker 6: much more difficult than a football game. 305 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 8: He's that father that you wanted to cuss out under 306 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 8: your breath, but at the same time you respected him 307 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 8: so much that just having him say good job and 308 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 8: say your name, you could. 309 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 3: Turn and just hould your chest. 310 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:35,520 Speaker 8: Coach Lombardi said something to me, and that was one 311 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:38,320 Speaker 8: of the things that kept me wanting. 312 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:39,359 Speaker 3: To play pro football. 313 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 8: After he cut me in Green Bay, he said to me, Mike, 314 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:48,000 Speaker 8: you could play in this league, and that to this 315 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:50,000 Speaker 8: day stays in my mind. 316 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 1: Let alone football being transformed, lives were being changed by 317 00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:59,160 Speaker 1: this man. In Washington. In less than a year with 318 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:02,600 Speaker 1: Lombardi at the Helm, there was so much excitement about 319 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:07,640 Speaker 1: the team's future, and then it all took a turn. 320 00:17:08,119 --> 00:17:11,240 Speaker 5: Washington Redskins coach Vince Lombardi had a two foot section 321 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:14,639 Speaker 5: of his colon removed today after surgeons discovered a tumor 322 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:16,280 Speaker 5: during an exploratory operation. 323 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:22,560 Speaker 1: He was diagnosed with an aggressive form of coaling cancer. 324 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:26,600 Speaker 15: It was a strike that year, and so he was 325 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:32,600 Speaker 15: at Georgetown Hospital and we were practicing together as a 326 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 15: team on the upper. 327 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 5: Fields at Georgetown University. 328 00:17:37,359 --> 00:17:40,879 Speaker 4: So all of a sudden, we see this, this limousine 329 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:44,240 Speaker 4: Cadillac coming across the driving across the upper field. 330 00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:47,280 Speaker 5: I don't know how got out there, and we're going like, what. 331 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:47,840 Speaker 4: The heck is this. 332 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:52,639 Speaker 13: We were getting ready to run the before practice exercises 333 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 13: like Coach Lombardy would have us do. 334 00:17:57,080 --> 00:18:01,119 Speaker 4: He's got on his hospital gown, but he's got on 335 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:05,159 Speaker 4: his wristband and you know, like some tubes. 336 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 14: Out of him and all that. And he got out 337 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:11,600 Speaker 14: of the car and said, I'm glad you were practicing together. 338 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:15,120 Speaker 14: Whatever you do, stick together. 339 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:19,480 Speaker 13: That He just got back in the car and left, 340 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:22,720 Speaker 13: and that's the last time I ever saw him. 341 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:26,879 Speaker 7: Sunday, August ninth, we had the day off with films. 342 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:27,439 Speaker 5: This evening. 343 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:29,600 Speaker 7: I spent a while talking with Jerry Smith. 344 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:29,960 Speaker 3: Today. 345 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:32,879 Speaker 7: He talked a lot about Vince Lombardi and about what 346 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:36,280 Speaker 7: a truly great person he is. Jerry said that Lombardi 347 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 7: had been given last rites. He also said that he 348 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:42,199 Speaker 7: had been taking cobalt treatments for cancer for over two 349 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 7: years and that he knew he only had a short 350 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:47,200 Speaker 7: time to live before he took over the Redskins. 351 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:52,480 Speaker 1: Vince Lombardi passed away on September third, nineteen seventy at 352 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:54,240 Speaker 1: Georgetown University Hospital. 353 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:03,920 Speaker 15: Flew up to New York to go to his funeral 354 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:05,679 Speaker 15: at Saint Patrick's Cathedral. 355 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:08,679 Speaker 9: I remember the funeral at Saint Patrick's Cathedral. I was 356 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 9: there with the rest of the Redskins and the packers 357 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:12,119 Speaker 9: and it. 358 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:12,960 Speaker 12: Was wall to wall. 359 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:17,080 Speaker 9: It was completely packed and out on to Fifth Avenue. 360 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 9: It was amazing. It was quite something, and you know, 361 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:25,879 Speaker 9: sad moment, sad moment. He was only fifty seven years old. 362 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:29,520 Speaker 2: That's who knows what Lombardy would have done with that 363 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:32,879 Speaker 2: team if he'd lived. You know, it's a cliche to 364 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:37,160 Speaker 2: talk about football culture, but he definitely changed the whole 365 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:42,280 Speaker 2: sensibility of football in Washington, made it something that players 366 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:45,320 Speaker 2: wanted to play for that team again. He set a 367 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:48,720 Speaker 2: standard that had to be met and was for most 368 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:51,159 Speaker 2: of the time for the next few decades. So he 369 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:52,160 Speaker 2: turned things around. 370 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:54,920 Speaker 6: To come out of retirement to come to coach our 371 00:19:55,000 --> 00:20:00,320 Speaker 6: team was a great thrill and opportunity to be around 372 00:20:00,359 --> 00:20:02,720 Speaker 6: a great man. You see why he was successful with 373 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:04,840 Speaker 6: That's something as you live with the rest of your life, 374 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:07,880 Speaker 6: and all of us learned from in that regard. It 375 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:11,520 Speaker 6: was just a great opportunity and transity lived. 376 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:21,360 Speaker 15: Excellence must be pursued. 377 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:25,080 Speaker 5: There must be wood, but all of one might, every 378 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:27,720 Speaker 5: bit of effort that we have, and each day, the new. 379 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:29,960 Speaker 12: Encounter, each week is a new challenge. 380 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:33,040 Speaker 13: All of the display and all of the noise, and 381 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:36,000 Speaker 13: all of the glamour, and all of the color, all 382 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 13: of the. 383 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 10: Excitement, all of the rings, and all of the money, 384 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:43,480 Speaker 10: these are the things that really linger only. 385 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 7: In the memory, but the spirit, the will to excel, 386 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:50,439 Speaker 7: the will to wind, these are the things that endure. 387 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:07,760 Speaker 1: Like subscribe, comment and stay tuned for more Hailtales episodes 388 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:12,240 Speaker 1: this summer. This episode of Haletals was narrated, produced, and 389 00:21:12,359 --> 00:21:17,159 Speaker 1: researched by me Hannah Liechtenstein, senior copywriter for the Washington Commanders. 390 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 1: It was produced and edited by Jason Johnson, edited by 391 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:25,320 Speaker 1: Nick Lianos. Executive producers are Ryan Yoakum and Kevin Klein. 392 00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:30,359 Speaker 1: Additional voiceover help comes from Bram Weinstein Graphics designed by 393 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:33,840 Speaker 1: Zach Osborne and Matt Cashman. Thank you to our guests 394 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:36,920 Speaker 1: for their contributions, and thank you for listening.