When Vince Lombardi took the reins of his new team in Washington, he let his team know that he essentially had eyes in the back of his head. As rookie safety Jon Jaqua wrote in his training camp diary in 1970, "Lombardi seems to be everywhere and see everything."

Spooking rookies wasn't the primary intent of Lombardi's watchfulness; rather, it was a way of moving as a leader that helped catalyze a complete turnaround in culture for the Burgundy & Gold. In the most recent episode of “Hail Tales: Stories from Washington Football History,” former players and football personnel spoke about the eagle-eyed Lombardi.

When Lombardi communicated that he was mindful of goings-on of the team (seemingly everywhere), he was propping up the importance of accountability and discipline. Linebacker Chris Hanburger painted a picture of those values in a story he recalled about a jarring training camp dismissal.

"I remember one player, we're in a meeting, and this player, he got injured, I think in the morning practice and training camp," Hanburger said. "And he didn't show up evidently for treatment when he should have before the afternoon practice. So, we're in the meeting and Coach Lombardi walks in, he's walking up the aisle. He starts talking and he mentioned the player's name and he said, 'You report to the Norfolk Neptunes [a local semi pro team] by such and such.' He fired him right then and there for not showing up for treatment."

Lombardi had times where he would be the strict authoritarian type but more key to his leadership was showcasing a true care for those he worked with. This was also conveyed through the coach's intense vigilance as longtime equipment manager Tommy McVean recalled.

A devout Catholic, Lombardi would make sure Mass was held wherever he coached. McVean, also a Catholic, would attend these. When he didn't take communion one time, Lombardi took notice.

"He put his arm around me, and we started to walk across the street, and he says, 'Tommy, is there something you want to tell me?' I said, 'Well, what do mean coach?' He says, 'You didn't take communion this morning,'" McVean recounted. "I said, 'Coach, coach, we scrimmaged in the pouring down rain at the high school last night. The equipment was so muddy, the shoes, the uniforms. We had to wash everything. I said were working till 2:30 in the morning, and we had some pizzas delivered."

At one point in the Catholic Church, the traditional fast before morning Mass began at midnight.

"You weren't allowed to eat anything after midnight if you were going to receive communion in the morning," McVean explained. I said, 'Coach, we were eating pizza at 2:30 in the morning. He said, 'That's a hell of an excuse.' He just laughed and gave me a big hug."

Whether it had to with rites or route running, how Vince Lombardi paid attention underscored that the whole operation -- the way it ran, the people who ran it -- meant a lot to him. And that authentic interest was part of what helped the 1969 Washington team under Lombardi put its first winning season together since 1955.