Vince Lombardi was about as famous as famous could be in the winter of 1968. He had just piloted the Green Bay Packers to their fifth NFL championship and second consecutive Super Bowl victory. He still answered his own mail.
A letter signed by Lombardi and dating from that period in time is going on the auction block in Wisconsin.
Lombardi signatures are in demand, but not that rare. Hundreds of signed checks have come on the market in recent years. A letter is a little different and this one carries a unique history behind it.
As famous as Lombardi was, he still honored friends’ requests to travel the state of Wisconsin giving speeches. The letter being sold is Lombardi’s acceptance to one such request and the visit to Janesville, in the southern end of the state, turned out to be his last public appearance in Wisconsin.
The letterhead features the newly-christened change of address for the Packers to “Lombardi Avenue”.
The letter’s discovery, purchase and upcoming auction was the subject of a story in the Janesville Gazette.
WLUK-TV also offered coverage: