I have never met a man worth his salt who in the long run, deep down in his heart, did not appreciate the grind — the discipline.

People who are truly admirable tend to respect the hard, repetitive work behind their achievements, even if they complain about it along the way. Lombardi is saying that the grind is not just a price paid for success. Looking back, serious people come to see that discipline shaped them, and they value it for that reason. "Worth his salt" means someone of real substance, and Lombardi suggests that substance and an appreciation of discipline go together.

The view fits his career as a football coach, famous for drilling the Green Bay Packers on fundamentals until they were automatic. It also echoes an older tradition, going back to Aristotle, that character and excellence are built through habit and practice rather than granted by talent. Lombardi adds a quiet observation about hindsight: the satisfaction in discipline often arrives late, "in the long run."

Today, someone learning the piano might dread daily scales and be tempted to skip them for the fun pieces. If they keep at it for a few months, they will probably find that the dull practice is what made the music possible, and they may start to value it for that.