Coaches
In Cliff Christl’s book, “A Championship Team”, Father Rowland De Peaux talked about an encounter he had with Vince Lombardi. De Peaux said that he had his foreign language lab in the basement on Sensenbrenner Hall, the same area where Lombardi and the other coaches watched film. So one day, Fr. De Peaux wanted to listen to the tapes and what the coaches were talking about. When Lombardi heard someone outside the room, he quickly rushed out there and yelled, “What the heck are… Oh, Father, I’m sorry.” Before realizing it was Fr. De Peaux, Lombardi was about ready to strangle who he thought was a spy.
He later continued by saying how Lombardi would participate at Mass at 7 o’clock some days when the Packers were staying on campus. However, outside of mass, the Norbertine priests made sure to stay out of Lombardi’s business. They did not want to interfere with any of his preparation, so the most you would here from one of them was a “Good morning, Vince”, but that was it.
But even today, you’ll see head coach Mike McCarthy participate at Mass on campus when the Packers stay at St. Norbert. It's pretty interesting to see such a tradition be carried down from one Packers coach to another.
Image One: Packers coach Vince Lombardi is greeted by the Rev. Dennis Burke, president of St. Norbert College in De Pere, as the team reports to Sensenbrenner Hall on campus on July 14, 1963, to begin training camp. Press-Gazette archives
Image Two: The Rev. Dennis Burke, O.Praem., and legendary Packer coach Vince Lombardi on the steps of Sensenbrenner Hall.
Image Three: The Rev. James Baraniak, O.Praem., and current Packer coach Mike McCarthy revisit the same scene on the 50th anniversary of training camp.
Image Four: Fr. Burke, Bishop Aloysius Wycislo, and Vince Lombardi receive honory degrees from St. Norbert College in 1968.
Image Five: Fr. Neal McLaughlin, Bishop Aloysius Wycislo, and Vince Lombardi at the Graduation Ceremony at St. Norbert College in 1968.