What can a Christian learn from Vince Lombardi?

by Ed Elliott

The Super Bowl trophy is called the Lombardi Trophy after legendary football coach Vince Lombardi.

Lombardi coached the Green Bay Packers to 5 championships. He also coached the Washington Redskins close to a championship and most likely would have succeeded if his life hadn’t been cut short by cancer.

Former players, foes, and fans alike, all agree that Coach Lombardi was in a class all by himself. He was a great motivator of men and had a keen eye for talent; he could see undiscovered potential in a player.

One of the things I discovered about Coach Lombardi while studying his coaching style, is a lesson I have adapted in my own spiritual life. I know that may sound strange to some of you; how can a rough gruff football coach teach us a spiritual truth? Allow me to explain.

When football season began and the players reported to training camp for practice and to prepare for the upcoming season, you would see a mix of old seasoned veterans and those who had only played a few years in the NFL, along with the new crop of rookies. Without fail, Coach Lombardi would start training camp with a good dose of back to the basics and fundamentals of the game of football. For all the new players, which included some seasoned veterans that had been traded and…