Ahead of Super Bowl LX, here are five things to know about the Vince Lombardi Trophy
As the Seahawks and the Patriots prepare to face off in Super Bowl LX, we take a look at the NFL’s title-game trophy.
The Vince Lombardi Trophy isn’t just the award given to the Super Bowl champion - it’s the most iconic symbol in the NFL, linking generations of players, coaches, and fans to the rich history of American football.
For any professional player, lifting the Lombardi Trophy is the ultimate dream. Touching it marks the culmination of years of preparation, sacrifice, and commitment to the sport.
Beyond the field, the trophy carries immense cultural and symbolic weight. It appears in documentaries, museums, official ceremonies, and memorabilia that help fuel the mystique surrounding the Super Bowl.
The trophy is named in honor of Vince Lombardi, one of the most influential coaches in league history. His legacy of leadership, strategy, and discipline lives on in the reverence the Lombardi Trophy holds within American sports culture.
Five things you might not know about the trophy:
- A design sketched on a napkin
In 1966, Oscar Riedener, a vice president at Tiffany & Co., sketched the trophy’s design on a napkin during a lunch meeting with NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle. That simple drawing became the official model still used today.
- Identical every single season
The Lombardi keeps the same design year after year. A new one is crafted each season, but it always features the silver football in a classic kicking position, with no aesthetic changes.
- It isn’t cleaned right after the Super Bowl
After the on-field celebration, the trophy is left covered in fingerprints, drink stains, and remnants of the party. Only weeks later is it sent back to Tiffany & Co. for a professional polishing.
- The winning team gets to keep the trophy
Once awarded, that season’s Lombardi belongs to the champion franchise forever. It isn’t returned or rotated, underscoring its unique place in professional sports.
- The football doesn’t represent any specific league
Although it was created during the NFL–AFL merger era, the football atop the trophy isn’t officially tied to either league. It serves as a subtle nod to the unification that gave birth to the Super Bowl.
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