The ultimate prize in professional football is the Vince Lombardi Trophy, which is awarded each season to the Super Bowl champion.
But how did the Lombardi Trophy come to symbolize excellence in the NFL? And when was it first awarded?
The Kansas City Chiefs won’t give up possession of the trophy willingly though. Last season’s Super Bowl champs are back again, and they’ll be facing a familiar opponent in Super Bowl 58 in the San Francisco 49ers. These same two teams met four years ago in Miami – where the Chiefs prevailed 31-20.
Want to know more about the Lombardi Trophy? You’ve come to the right place.
SUPER BOWL CENTRAL: Latest Super Bowl 58 news, stats, odds, matchups and more.
Who is Vince Lombardi?
A good place to start is with the man for whom the trophy is named.
Vincent Thomas Lombardi was a head coach in the NFL for only 10 seasons, but his legacy as a leader and strategist is immense. Lombardi led the Green Bay Packers from the depths of despair to the league’s model franchise shortly after he took over in 1959.
Taking over a team that went 1-10-1 the previous season, Lombardi led the Packers to a 7-5 mark in his first year, a division title in his second year and back-to-back championships in Years 3 and 4. Green Bay went on to win three more NFL titles under Lombardi, including the first two Super Bowls. He also coached one year in Washington before dying of cancer in 1970.
What is the origin of the Lombardi Trophy?
The story goes like this: In 1966, former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle wanted to have a trophy for the winner of the inaugural NFL-AFL Championship Game. He had lunch with the vice president of Tiffany and Co., Oscar Riedner, who sketched out the design of a trophy on a cocktail napkin.
The first trophy closely resembled the one in use today, made entirely of sterling silver with a football positioned on top of a three-sided base. Rozelle had the words ‘World Professional Football Championship’ engraved on the trophy and presented it to the Packers after their win over the Chiefs on Jan. 15, 1967.
Following Lombardi’s death in 1970, the trophy was renamed in his honor.
Do NFL teams get to keep the Lombardi Trophy?
Yes, they do. The NFL casts a new trophy every year to award to the Super Bowl champion.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots have the most Lombardi Trophies with six. The 49ers can claim their sixth with a victory in Super Bowl 58.
Smaller replicas of the Lombardi Trophy are given to each member of the winning team.
How much does the Lombardi Trophy weigh?
The Lombardi Trophy is 22 inches tall and weighs approximately seven pounds (3.2 kg).