Vince Lombardi Beat Them All; Coach To Win: He cheered and pushed the Green Bay Packers to 5 NFL titles.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)

Byline: MICHAEL MINK

For Vince Lombardi, reaching the top wasn't a complicated process.

A complex man who turned the core values of his youth into his credo of "God, family and the Green Bay Packers," Lombardi developed the will to win in his players.

He didn't accept excuses and rode his players relentlessly about eliminating mental mistakes. Lombardi preached doing things the right way all the time. If a player quit pushing himself even once during practice, he believed, that player was letting the urge to quit become a habit and thus eroding the mental toughness necessary to be a champion.

"I have been quoted as saying, "Winning is the only thing.' That's a little out of context. What I said is that "Winning is not everything -- but making the effort to win is,' " wrote Lombardi in "Vince Lombardi on Football. "Not everyone can be a winner all the time, but everyone can make that effort, that commitment to excellence."

Simply put, there is no substitute for straightforward, hard work. "To achieve success, whatever the job we have, we must pay a price for success," Lombardi said. "You have to pay the price to win, and you have to pay the price to get to the point where success is possible. Most important, you must pay the price to stay there. Success is not a "sometimes' thing. In other words, you don't do what is right once in a while, but all the time. Success is a habit. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing."

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