Winning the Super Bowl is undeniably the greatest achievement on any NFL player’s resume. Outlasting opponents throughout the season and then overcoming even tougher competition in the playoffs to reach the pinnacle and defeat the ultimate challenger is no easy feat. Many great QBs have retired without a Super Bowl, and to this day, 12 teams have yet to claim the title. The value of the victory is immense, but beyond that, the trophy itself is a masterpiece — crafted with precision and expertise by Tiffany & Co. since 1967.
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From afar, the Super Bowl trophy is nothing but a football in a kicking position. But as they say, the devil is in the details. For starters, the trophy is completely made of sterling silver — an alloy containing 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. The material is first sourced at Tiffany’s factory in New Jersey before it undergoes multiple stages of construction.
There are four stages in total to perfect it. According to the designers at Tiffany & Co., the first stage is called the spinning step, where the silversmith hand-presses a flat silver sheet on a lathe. Once the silver mold is created, the second step, known as “chasing,” involves the artisans adding the laces to the football part of the trophy.
Patchwork, soldering, and fitting the V-shaped conclave base to the football is done in the third stage. The last and final step in the process is carried out by the engravers, who work meticulously in the tower in front of the trophy. The etcher then comes and sandblasts the NFL logo and minute details that make it stand out. Lastly, the polisher gives the trophy its signature shine, bringing it to a flawless mirror finish.
As per Tiffany & Co., the four stages are fully handcrafted and require 72 hours of labor across a 4-month period.
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The Lombardi Trophy is actually a heavy award to lift as it’s 22 inches tall and weighs 7 pounds. Interestingly enough, the conception of the trophy was initially done on a cocktail napkin by then-NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle and then Tiffany VP Oscar Reiner.
As far as symbolic meaning goes, Tiffany & Co. believes that the trophy design symbolizes “the pinnacle of gridiron glory”. Considering the trophy is named after a perennial winner in Vince Lombardi, this design choice does convey the intended meaning.
Another impressive factor about the Super Bowl trophy is the fact that the league allows it to remain with the winning team of that year for the rest of eternity. In an ideal world, this is how trophy distribution should be. But as we have seen in the NHL, the Stanley Cup keeps changing hands with each year’s winner.
Notably, once the Super Bowl champion is determined, the trophy is sent back to Tiffany & Co. for engraving before being delivered to the winning team to keep.
All that said, understanding the making behind the Super Bowl trophy definitely adds to the allure of the award, especially considering the effort and detailing that goes into it. It also increases the excitement for the magnum opus next month where the Chiefs will take on the Eagles in what promises to be a historic encounter in New Orleans.
