NEW YORK – For the 35th consecutive year, Tiffany & Co. has created the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy, which will be presented to the winning team on Super Bowl Sunday, January 28, 2001, at The Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Originally designed by Tiffany for the first Super Bowl in 1967, the trophy is the National Football League’s most prestigious award and an icon of American sports. Former Tiffany & Co. Vice President Oscar Riedener sketched the trophy’s basic design during a meeting with Pete Rozelle, then-commissioner of the NFL.
The trophy depicts a regulation-size football in kicking position atop an elongated triangular base and is rendered entirely in sterling silver. In 1970 the trophy was renamed for Vince Lombardi, the late Green Bay Packers coach who led the Packers to victories in the first two Super Bowls.
“The Vince Lombardi Trophy is a shining star in Tiffany’s trophy case,” said John Petterson, Tiffany & Co. Senior Vice President. “It is symbolic of the company’s great legacy as one of the world’s premier silversmiths, a reputation Tiffany gained in large part by the artistry and excellence of its championship trophies.”
Hand Crafted by Master Artisans
The trophy is created at Tiffany’s silversmithing workshop in Parsippany, New Jersey. Employing age-old techniques such as spinning, chasing and polishing, the firm’s master artisans hand-craft the trophy, which stands 22 inches high, weighs nearly seven pounds, and takes approximately 72 man-hours to complete.
In keeping with tradition, the trophy will be presented by NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue to the owner of the winning team of Super Bowl XXXV. After the field ceremony, the trophy will be returned to Tiffany’s workshop where master engravers will hand-engrave the name of the winning team, and if requested, the names of all team members.
Tiffany & Co. also has the honor of creating the Pete Rozelle Trophy. Named for the late NFL Commissioner whose distinguished career spanned nearly 30 years, the trophy is presented to the Most Valuable Player of the Super Bowl game. First awarded in 1991 at Super Bowl XXV, the shooting star design is 18 inches high and hand-crafted from 86 ounces of sterling silver. The trophy is accented with vermeil, a centuries-old practice in which gold is applied over silver.
Fans and visitors to Tampa can view the Super Bowl trophy on display at the NFL Experience from January 25 through January 28.
Revered Symbols of Athletic Achievement
While the Super Bowl trophy is among the most famous of Tiffany custom designs, the company has created some of the most revered symbols of athletic achievement in every era of American sports history. From the 1869 winner’s trophy for the Belmont Stakes; to the 1888 Hall Championship Cup, baseball’s first world championship trophy; to the magnificent yachting trophies on display at the New York Yacht Club; to such present day awards as the National Basketball Association Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, the World Series Trophy for Major League Baseball, and the U.S. Open Tennis Championship Trophies, Tiffany quality and craftsmanship continue to celebrate excellence on the playing field and the incomparable thrill of victory.
