Robert De Niro has signed to play legendary football coach Vince Lombardi in ESPN Films big screen feature Lombardi. Academy Award-winning screenwriter Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, Munich, Benjamin Button, The Insider) penned the script. The National Football League is involved in the project, which means we probably won see anything controversial in the movie (steroids, alcohol).
I dont know a lot about football, but looking at photos of Lombardi, you can certainly see how De Niro would be cast in the role. Risky Business says the plan is to release the film between the AFC and NFC conference championship games and the Super Bowl in 2012. The film will focus on Lombardis Green Bay Packers years, although ESPN acquired the entire life rights to Lombardis story from his estate, as well as the rights to Jerry Kramer and Dick Schaaps book Instant Replay.
For those of you who dont know about Vince Lombardi, here is information on Lombardi from Wikipedia:
Lombardi was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League from 1959-67, winning five league championships during his nine years. Lombardi went on to accomplish a 105356 record as head coach (.750, discarding ties as was the NFL policy); and he never suffered a losing season. He led the Packers to a still-unmatched three consecutive NFL championships in 1965, 1966, and 1967; winning the first two Super Bowls, solidifying his place in history as one of, if not the greatest coach in football history.
He was diagnosed with colon cancer in late June 1970, weeks before training camp for his second season in Washington. Just a week after his death, the NFLs Super Bowl trophy was renamed the Vince Lombardi Trophy in his honor, first awarded after Super Bowl V. Lombardi was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame at its next induction ceremony in 1971.
Vince Lombardi has become virtually synonymous with the NFL. This began during his career: he was featured as the face of the NFL on the cover of Time on December 14, 1962 as part of the magazines cover story on The Sport of the 60s. Lombardis players were wholeheartedly devoted to him, and his emphasis on hard work and dedication endeared him to millions who admired his values. In addition to Lombardis contributions to the history of pro football, Lombardi is legendary for his coaching philosophy and motivational skills. Many of Lombardis speeches continue to be quoted frequently today, and he is well known as being unequivocally committed to winning. One of his most famous maxims is Winning isnt everything; its the only thing, although he did not coin the phrase and the exact words he used are disputed. Lombardi time is the principle that one should arrive 1015 minutes early, or else be considered late. His chief scout, Wally Cruice, once said of Lombardis single-minded devotion to the game: you didnt talk about anything but football. If you didnt have the facts, he didnt want you to waste his time.
