This is a guest opinion

In early 1968, my father, who was honored to be the quarterback for Vince Lombardi during his nine years as head coach in Green Bay, took me to see the great man at his home. I was, at just ten years old, still feeling excitement regarding the Packers 5th NFL Championship since 1961, and their second consecutive victory in what would become known as the Super Bowl. However, my father and Coach Lombardi had something else in mind; it turns out they shared more than a love for success on the football field. Much more.

We pulled up to Lombardi’s house near the Fox River in Allouez, a suburb of Green Bay. In a minute another vehicle joined us. The parents had met my father and told him their son would be thrilled to meet Lombardi; in just a moment I realized why my dad had arranged this gathering. The boy, perhaps 15 years old, suffered from temporary paraplegia due to a spinal injury. His football goals had vanished and his optimism regarding the rest of his life was in need of a boost.

Lombardi was warm, gracious, and compassionate. His entire focus was on the well being of this young fan, not on himself. He asked questions and provided a sense of optimism. Lombardi’s empathy was profound and genuine that day. Later I learned about my dad’s favorite stories regarding Coach Lombardi, discovering that seldom were they directly related to football. Our family has forever cherished them, as his lessons are timeless.

In Lombardi’s second year as head coach, the Packers lost the NFL Championship game to the Philadelphia Eagles, 17-13. This was the only playoff game Lombardi ever lost, despite the fact that the Packers easily won the battles for yardage, time of possession, and turnovers. Lombardi is well known for telling the team they would never lose another playoff game, and for taking the blame. Later, during a private conversation with my dad, he said, “You are the offensive leader of this team, and I want you to remember something. I hate losing as much as anyone on this team. I’ll always be sick about every loss. But we must never make excuses. What we will do following a loss is give full credit to the other team, and take responsibility for our shortcomings. We had many opportunities to win this game, but I failed. It was not the referees, not the fans, not anything but my decisions. How I respond to a loss, how you respond to a loss, will determine whether you and I are winners or whiners.”

Nearly every sports fan has read many of Lombardi’s famous quotes, heard about his commitment to excellence, admired his astonishing accomplishments. Like the rest of us, he was fallible, possessing a fierce temper that sometimes got the best of him. What transcended his flaws were his admirable personal qualities and his willingness to employ them when most needed. Perhaps this stemmed from Lombardi’s background as an American of Italian descent, a fact that led to a delay in getting hired as a head coach despite his achievements as a creative offensive coordinator for the powerful New York Giants in the 1950s.

When Lombardi arrived in Green Bay, he became a resident leader in what was nearly an “all white” community. As Black Americans arrived to join the Packers, Lombardi learned that superb players such as co-captain Willie Davis were unable to receive service in certain outlets. Lombardi prepared a note to be distributed to every retail establishment in the city. It was succinct yet powerful: “We know you will embrace all members of the Packers regardless of race, and we will be pleased to do business with you. However, if you choose to discriminate against even one member of our team, each of us will take our business elsewhere.” His bold decision to insist on respect for all proved to his team that every person mattered as much as any person. His players knew that nothing would disrupt their unity; commensurate loyalty ensued, and Green Bay’s residents rose to Lombardi’s challenge to embrace all of humanity.

Following the 1962 season, the Packers chose Dave Robinson of Penn State in the 1963 draft. Several members of the Packers’ executive committee met with Lombardi and asked why he was filling the roster with so many Black athletes. Lombardi did not stand for this line of questioning. He responded, “Gentlemen, you hired me to build a championship team. We have won two consecutive NFL titles. I seek players of high character, high intelligence, and dedication to the team above themselves. I care not a whit about the color of a person’s skin, and I can tell you that Dave Robinson will be successful in every aspect of his life. You are free to either fire me or to trust my judgment.” Lombardi consistently stepped up to the plate to provide support for those who might otherwise be disparaged, a courageous move given the times in which it took place.

When my dad’s dear friend Zeke Bratkowski arrived in that same year, he was astonished to discover that his new coach regularly sought input from my dad regarding how to enhance Lombardi’s game plans. My dad told Zeke that Lombardi, despite running a tight ship, believed it was crucial to maintain an attitude of study and learning, of openness, of a willingness to admit that he didn’t have all the answers. Both my dad and Zeke eagerly prepared for their game plan meetings with Coach Lombardi, realizing he was open to suggestions for improvement.

My dad also relayed to Zeke a story that took place several years earlier. Lombardi tore into my dad for an interception during a practice, despite the fact that the pass was thrown on time and accurately. It simply got tipped by the intended receiver. After practice, in private, Lombardi said, “Bart, you are going to lead us to many championships. I have full confidence in you.” My dad responded, “Coach, I know that, but the team has doubts. If they hear only comments indicating your lack of faith in me, they will not trust me when it counts.” Lombardi paused, then said, “You’re absolutely right. I will change my approach and never create that doubt again.” He kept his word, because he had self-awareness and the humility to acknowledge mistakes.

After Lombardi decided to leave Green Bay for Washington, D.C., he stopped by my parents’ house. During the conversation, my mom told him “We owe our home and our lives to you.” He began to cry, hugged them, and said, “I wouldn’t have been able to win this way without you.” His gratitude in the face of his success was stunning. After he drove away, my dad said, “He has many marvelous qualities, including these: he seldom spoke about himself. He never belittled our opponents. He had no time for negativity such as that. Instead, he pushed us to become the best versions of ourselves we could possibly attain. He challenged us to focus intensely on improving every day. “He asked us to show love toward those who were less talented, less able to help, remembering their invaluable contributions to the team.”

He asked us to show love toward those who were less talented, less able to help, remembering their invaluable contribution to the team. He demanded that we hold ourselves to the highest standards, in a manner that would make the team and the community proud. He inspired each of us with his personal integrity. He told us our priorities should be first to our God, then to our families, and finally to the team. Never did he ask for devotion to him. Not once. Those are just a few of the many reasons why we love him.”

Today, I humbly suggest we need to recall these lessons and standards. Regretfully, with some promising exceptions such as Representative Mike Gallagher from Wisconsin and a new member of the Senate we will discuss in a moment, several members of the Republican Party seem to crave controversy, to draw constant attention to themselves, to have little interest in learning and listening, even to delight in denigrating others. Two of them, Matt Gaetz and Marjorie-Taylor Greene, got together on a broadcast months ago to heartlessly slam a colleague, Jamie Raskin, claiming his son’s suicide and his resulting anguish rendered him unfit to serve in the House. In 1988, when my parents lost a 24 year old son, they received compassion and love. Watching the video in which Mr. Gaetz and Ms. Greene tie the death of Mr. Rankin’s child to his competence is infuriating; such a tragedy, under any circumstance, ought bring forth healing rather than the infliction of pain.

The need for solidarity applies not only to individual families but to our collective family. Surely our Republican spokespersons such as Ms. Greene can begin to put forth words of appreciation toward the United States as a whole. Instead, we have heard her call for a self-imposed split into two countries, apparently unaware that such incendiary language is the last thing needed when we are sometimes struggling to find common ground. She may also be unaware that her “disfavored” states actually generate a significant majority of our country’s entire economic output. Our party badly needs more individuals who are committed to careful contemplation of serious issues as opposed to the elevation of bizarre, trivial, and sometimes outrageous matters.

Today the state of Alabama can cite an ascendant young Republican capable of transcending much of the negativity that has gripped a faction of our party. Our newly elected Senator, Katie Britt, is already demonstrating a seriousness of purpose as well as gratitude for being an American. She resolutely holds principled beliefs, yet she respects those who view issues through a different lens. Admitting that another person’s argument has validity, even if it differs from our own, is a sign of maturity, perspective, and strength. May she forever remember this truth, one espoused by her mentor, Richard Shelby.

As was the case with Coach Lombardi, Senator Britt appears to possess a genuine commitment to learn, to remain open to new facts, to adapt to changing national and global matters. We don’t see her engage in unprovoked attacks on opponents. Rather than impugn the motives of others, we hear words of inspiration about what she hopes to achieve as a Senator and what we can accomplish as a unified citizenry. If our party is to return to the standards we once cherished, we should pray for her and her family, offering our support and confidence that she and others with similar dispositions are the sorts of individuals whom Republicans ought to admire.

Bart Starr, Jr. grew up in Green Bay, WI, and has called Birmingham home for nearly 4 decades. He owns a small agricultural commodities business and supports a boys ranch founded by his parents, as well as other charities.