New Orleans Saints quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi, right, works with quarterbacks Mark Brunell, center, and Drew Brees, left, during practice Feb. 4. Lombardi played football for the Air Force Academy in the 1990s. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Turns out the Air Force Academy has a connection to the Super Bowl XLIV.
Former Air Force officer Joe Lombardi is the quarterbacks coach for the New Orleans Saints. Lombardi played tight end and was a three-time letter winner at the Air Force Academy. He graduated in 1994 and began his coaching career two years later at the University of Dayton while he was stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force base, according to a USA TODAY column.
The most interesting part of Lombardi’s story, however, is his connection to the trophy that the Saints and Colts are playing for Sunday. Joe Lombardi is the grandson of legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi. The fact that a family Lombardi family member has a chance to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy is obviously one of the most unique aspects of Sunday’s game, and it’s been one of the biggest stories this week.
