About
The Lombardi Award®
Honoring the outstanding college football lineman or linebacker since 1970, in Coach Vince Lombardi's name and in service of the fight against cancer.
The history
Born in grief, built for a cause.
The Lombardi Award® was established by the Rotary Club of Houston shortly after Coach Vince Lombardi's death from colon cancer in 1970, with authorization from his widow Marie and sister Madeline Lombardi Werner.
The award honors "the outstanding college football lineman, whether on offense or defense, who displays exceptional performance and ability" while embodying Lombardi's values of character and discipline.
Mrs. Lombardi stipulated that net proceeds from gala sponsorships and table sales support cancer research. Since 1970 the award has raised millions of dollars to advance cancer research programs.
The man
Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi was an American football coach and NFL executive, best known for leading the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s. He achieved three consecutive and five total NFL championships in seven years, winning the first two Super Bowls after the 1966 and 1967 seasons.
His coaching journey included St. Cecilia High School in Englewood, New Jersey; Fordham; the United States Military Academy; and the New York Giants, before he became head coach of the Green Bay Packers (1959–1967) and Washington (1969).
He compiled a regular-season record of 96–34–6 (a .738 winning percentage) and a 9–1 postseason record. He never had a losing season as a head coach in the NFL.
Lombardi died from cancer in 1970 and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame the following year. The NFL's Super Bowl trophy was named in his honor.
Following his death, Houstonian Rick Ashburn proposed an award that would honor Lombardi while funding cancer research. The Rotary Club of Houston embraced the idea and obtained permission from Marie Lombardi. Four months after his death, the first Rotary Lombardi Award® Dinner was held at the AstroWorld Hotel, with Vice President Spiro Agnew as keynote speaker and Howard Cosell speaking on Lombardi's legacy.
"There's only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything."
Vince Lombardi
By the numbers
Among previous winners and finalists
The trophy
Forty pounds of Texas pink granite.
The 40-pound block of Texas pink granite has symbolized the award since 1970. Designed by artist Mark Storm, the slightly leaning polished granite represents desire, courage, discipline, and the complete football player, shaped by training, coaching, and dedication.
The design, established in 1971, remains unchanged and serves as a symbol of strength, character, and support for cancer research.
The Front Line Kids
The day before the gala.
The Front Line Kids have been special guests of the Lombardi Award® for more than 50 years. Each year the finalists and celebrity athletes visit Texas Children's and MD Anderson pediatric cancer centers during the event.
Overall survival rates for childhood leukemia have improved to 90% from less than 20% fifty years ago, though survival rates for many other childhood cancers remain low. That gap is why the gala exists.
53rd annual gala