Vince Lombardi Trophy

Lore & Background

During lunch with NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle in 1966, Tiffany & Co. vice president Oscar Riedner made a sketch on a cocktail napkin of what would become the Vince Lombardi Trophy: a football in a kicking position on a three concave sided stand. The original trophy was produced by Tiffany & Co. in Newark, New Jersey. Others have since been handcrafted by the company in Parsippany, New Jersey. As of 2017, the trophy is produced at the Tiffany & Co. Forest Hill manufacturing facility in Cumberland, Rhode Island.

The first trophy, inscribed with the words 'World Professional Football Championship,' was awarded to the Green Bay Packers on January 15, 1967, after they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl I. Following the death of Vince Lombardi in September, the trophy was officially renamed in his memory. It was presented for the first time as the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the Baltimore Colts after their victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V. Originally, the trophy was presented inside the winning team's locker room.

Since Super Bowl XXX in January 1996, it has been presented to the owner of the winning team on the field. Unlike trophies such as the Stanley Cup and the Grey Cup, a new Vince Lombardi Trophy is cast every year, and the winning team maintains permanent possession of it. The one exception is the trophy won by the then-Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl V. The city of Baltimore retained possession of the trophy (albeit a replica as previous owner Carroll Rosenbloom took the original trophy with him when he sold the team) as part of the legal settlement after the Colts made their infamous 'Midnight Mayflower' relocation to Indianapolis, Indiana, on March 29, 1984. Since Super Bowl XLV, the Vince Lombardi Trophy has been prominently featured in the Super Bowl logo design.

Reader's Guide

The Vince Lombardi Trophy stands 22 in tall, weighs 107.3 ounces or approximately 7 lb and depicts a football in a kicking position on a three concave sided stand, and is entirely made of sterling silver. The words 'Vince Lombardi Trophy' along with the Roman numerals of that year's Super Bowl are engraved on and the NFL shield is affixed onto the base. After the trophy is awarded, it is sent back to Tiffany's to be engraved with the names of the participating teams, the date, location, and the game's final score.

It is then sent back to the winning team for them to keep. Smaller replicas are made for each person on the winning team. For the first four championship games, both the NFL and the AFL logos were in the center of the trophy. Starting from Super Bowl V, only the NFL shield was on the front.

Beginning with Super Bowl XXXVIII, the shield took on a frosted appearance. Starting with Super Bowl XLIII, the slightly redesigned NFL shield began appearing on the trophy, still with a frosted appearance. Other than the logo, the trophy has had no significant changes made since the first Super Bowl. While no franchise possesses all four versions, the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers have three of the four designs.

Did You Know?

• On April 9, 2019, Rob Gronkowski used the Super Bowl LIII Vince Lombardi trophy as a bat to bunt a practice pitch from Julian Edelman during the Boston Red Sox season opener, leaving a baseball-sized dent.
• As an individual player, Tom Brady won seven Super Bowls in his career, more than any single NFL franchise.
• As an individual coach, Bill Belichick has won eight Super Bowls in his career, more than any single NFL franchise or player.

Early Life and Family Roots

His parents, Harry and Mattie, hailed from Southern Italy, with grandparents emigrating from Salerno and Basilicata to build lives in New York. The family thrived during the Great Depression thanks to Harry's successful butcher shop in Manhattan's Meatpacking District. Growing up in an ethnically diverse neighborhood, young Vince faced external discrimination against Italian-Americans but found stability within his tight-knit clan. Sundays were strictly reserved for mandatory church services at St. Mark Catholic Church, followed by extended family dinners that included local clergy. Although he helped his father with meat cutting as a child, Lombardi quickly developed an aversion to the trade. Instead, he discovered football at age twelve in uncoached neighborhood leagues, planting the seeds for a future where discipline and teamwork would define his legacy.

Educational Journey and Athletic Struggles

Lombardi's academic path was initially directed toward the priesthood; he entered Cathedral Preparatory Seminary to become a Catholic priest. However, poor eyesight and limited athleticism hindered his performance in baseball and basketball, leading him to secretly play football off-campus against school rules. After four years, he abandoned the seminary for St. Francis Preparatory High School, where he excelled as a fullback on the Terriers' team and joined the Omega Gamma Delta fraternity. Despite being undersized at five-foot-eight, Lombardi became part of the famed 'Seven Blocks of Granite' offensive line. A severe injury during a game against Pitt knocked out several teeth but did not stop him from making a crucial defensive stand that preserved a tie. That season's narrow loss to NYU cost Fordham a Rose Bowl bid, teaching Lombardi a lifelong lesson: never underestimate an opponent.

Coaching Ascension and NFL Dominance

His coaching career began at St. Cecilia High School in New Jersey, eventually leading him through assistant roles at Fordham, the United States Military Academy, and the New York Giants. Over seven years, he guided the team to five NFL Championships, including three consecutive titles. He also secured victories in the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and 1967 seasons. Lombardi's tenure was marked by perfection; he never recorded a losing season as an NFL head coach, boasting a remarkable regular-season winning percentage of 73.8% and a postseason record of 90%, solidifying his reputation as one of the greatest leaders in American sports history.

Legacy and Enduring Impact

Vince Lombardi's career ended suddenly with his death from cancer during the 1970 preseason while coaching the Washington Redskins. The Pro Football Hall of Fame later enshrined him for this work. Most notably, the league immortalized his name by renaming the Super Bowl trophy in his honor. Now every future champion lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy carries a reminder of his leadership and success. He turned teams into dynasties through a strict yet inspiring philosophy that set a standard for professional football still ringing today. Decades after he died, his name still signals championship pedigree and an uncompromising chase for victory.