Super Bowl ring
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to players and coaches of the team that wins the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl Championship Ring is the ultimate prize for a professional football player.
These rings are typically made of yellow or white gold with diamonds. They usually include the team name, team logo, and Super Bowl number (usually indicated in Roman numerals). Most of the rings also have larger diamonds or diamonds made into the shape of the trophy, that represent the number of Super Bowls that franchise has won (thus, Pittburgh's 2005 ring has five trophies, representing the five Super Bowls they have won).
[edit] Trivia
- The NFL pays for the rings, with up to 150 rings per team at a cost of up to $5,000.00 a piece.
- The rings are made at the Jostens facility in Denton, Texas.
- In June 2005, New England Patriots owner and businessman Robert Kraft was in a business meeting with American executives and Russian president Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, Russia. At one point during the meeting, Putin asked to see Kraft's 2005 Super Bowl ring. Encouraged by Citigroup Chairman Sanford Weill, Kraft removed the ring and handed it to Putin, who looked at it briefly, then pocketed it and left the room. Later, Kraft claimed the ring was a gift. Dmitry Peskov, a senior Russian official, later reported to The Associated Press that the ring had been put in the Kremlin library along with other foreign gifts.
- Green Bay's 1967 ring has three stones representing the three straight NFL Championships they won, the first one being the last NFL Championship before the first Super Bowl. They are the only NFL team to ever win three straight championships.
[edit] Most Super Bowl rings
- Six: Conditioning coach Mike Woicik has the most Super Bowl rings: three with the Dallas Cowboys and three with the New England Patriots.
- Five: Dan Rooney, Dick Hoak, Joe Greene, Charles Haley, and Bill Belichick each have five Super Bowl Rings. Rooney won each as an executive with the Pittsburgh Steelers, for which Hoak was running backs coach for all five championships. Also for the Steelers, defensive tackle Greene won four as a player and one as the Steelers' special assistant for player personnel. Linebacker Haley is the only person to win all five as a player: two with the San Francisco 49ers and three with the Cowboys. Bill Belichick gained his five for coaching: two as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, and three as the head coach of the Patriots.
- Four: Dozens of players have four. Twenty-two players, among them Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Mel Blount, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Rocky Bleier, Donnie Shell, and Mike Webster, each won four Super Bowl rings with the Steelers. Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, Keena Turner, and Tom Holmoe each won four Super Bowl rings with the 49ers. Kicker Adam Vinatieri won three with the Patriots and one with the Indianapolis Colts. Bill Romanowski won two with the Niners and two with the Denver Broncos. Coach Charlie Weis won one with the Giants and three with the Patriots. Matt Millen has the most rings from different teams, two with the Oakland Raiders, one with the 49ers, and one with the Washington Redskins.
- Three: Among the many football figures with three are Troy Aikman, Steve Young, Michael Irvin, Tom Brady, Joe Gibbs and Jerry Rice. Ken Norton, Jr. is the only player to have won 3 Super Bowls in a row (1992–1994).
