The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.

Lombardi frames “success” not as a trophy or a scoreboard result but as the cost paid in disciplined effort and character. The “price” metaphor implies that achievement is purchased through sustained labor, commitment to immediate responsibilities, and a resilient mindset. The key turn—“whether we win or lose”—shifts the standard of evaluation from external outcomes to internal standards: giving one’s best. In a competitive setting like professional football, this ethic elevates preparation, focus, and integrity as the true measures of accomplishment, suggesting that controllable inputs (work, dedication, determination) matter more than uncontrollable outcomes.