Robert De Niro to play American football coach Vince Lombardi

The 66-year-old actor has taken on real-life boxer Jake LaMotta in the past and will now play Lombardi who coached the 'Greenbay Packers' to five NFL championships, Variety reported online.Titled 'Lombardi' the film will be scripted by Eric Roth of 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' fame.

He will chronicle the coach's career during the years he transformed the Green Bay Packers from the worst team in the NFL into five-time champions during the 1960's.
"We've had an extraordinary relationship with ESPN for five years through the Tribeca Film Festival, and now we're able to extend that association into production," said Jane Rosenthal, co-founder of the Gotham fest who is producing the movie alongside Chris Olsen, Tribeca Prods and De Niro.

"There are few actors who could accurately portray the fire, passion and grit of Lombardi, and we're thrilled to have Robert De Niro on our team," Charles Coplin, NFL's Vice-President of programming told The Hollywood reporter.The movie bosses are planning to release the film in 2012