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In
2007, Mike Hattley of
www.touchdown-treasures.com
sent me photos of an original
1960s-era American Football League Players
Association ring, shown below.
After corresponding with some
former American Football League players, I felt
it would be a good idea to create a new ring
commemorating the fans and the Alumni of the
American Football League. I used Mike's
photos to mock-up the Alumni ring (above left), and found that the makers
of the original have a mold of a similar ring,
which I had produced for me. |
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Herff
Jones,
a
world-renowned
maker of high-quality
high-school,
college and professional championship rings,
including Super Bowl rings,
is now producing a ring for
former players and loyal fans of the
American Football League.
Since Herff Jones
has dies that were used for AFL rings
in the 1960s, only a portion of the new
rings must be new work, greatly reducing the
cost of creating the present ring.
Below each
original ring, above, is the same view of my
new ring, for an AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE
FAN.
The
other version of the new ring is identical,
but the top says
AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE
ALUMNI.
The
top of the ring has a
simulated stone
set above the letters
AFL.
The stones are available in birthstones, or
in the color of the American Football League
team of your choice.
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One side has a relief of a
football gridiron, and underneath that is a
'ribbon' with
a team name of your choice,
or other engraving, up to 10 spaces. |
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Below that is a football helmet in relief, and
below that,
a 'ribbon'
that can be engraved with up
to 4 spaces, e.g. initials, or a
short name. The
other side of the ring has a relief
showing the
classic "eagle and A"
logo of the late, lamented
American Football League. |
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The inside of the ring is engraved with your
initials and a date.
(click images to enlarge) |
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The photo
above shows the proportion of my new AFL Fan ring, on
my hand.
The new rings are the same size and weight as
the 1960s ring. They are NOT copies, but
unique designs. Note that the band above the
helmet on the 1960s ring is curved, while the
one on the new Alumni or Fan rings is straight.
The Alumni and Fan rings have the complete words
AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE ALUMNI (or FAN) around
the face, while the 1960's ring has the words
AFL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION.
The ring shown above is an example of a10K yellow gold
ring. |
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Below is a list
of monthly birthstones, with photos
of each simulated stone, for color
description only. Actual stones
are
circular and smaller, approximately
as proportioned in the AFL rings
shown at the top of this page.
(click image to enlarge)
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Note: Some
of the stones shown above will also be used
for team colors if you prefer to represent
the team rather than using your birthstone.
The Bills, NY Titans and Chargers rings will
have Blue Spinel; the Oilers will
have Aquamarine; the
Patriots, Dallas Texans and Chiefs will have
Ruby; and the Jets will have Emerald, all
stones as shown above. The other teams
will have stones not pictured: the Broncos
and Bengals rings will have
orange
Padparadschah,
the Dolphins will have Ocean Teal, and the
Raiders will have black Onyx.
If enough rings
aren't purchased to
cover my already-paid set-up cost, I'll eat it. If
ring proceeds accrue more than the costs of the
setup, all excess funds will be sent
in the name of AFL
players and fans, to the
retired Pro Football
players' help fund Gridiron
Greats,
with the stipulation
that the funds be used to help a retired
American Football League player in need.
I neither want nor will I accept
any profit from the sale of these rings.
If you're interested,
please click below where indicated, to get a printable
RING ORDER FORM. Fill it out, and send it to
Herff Jones with
your check for the appropriate amount.
Prices on the gold rings will be
periodically adjusted based on the
market value of gold.
If you're a former
American Football League player
or staff member who never
had a championship ring or a players
association ring, (or even if you do) this
is your chance to show your pride in having
been part of what even the NFL calls
"the league that was the genesis of modern
pro football". If you're 'just' an
American Football League fan, you can show
your support for the memory of the greatest
pro football league ever.
The Alumni and Fan rings are not yet "AFL
memorabilia", but an AFL ring purchased in
2009, the league's
50th Anniversary Season,
is sure to be tomorrow's AFL
memorabilia!
BECAUSE SOME PLAYERS have indicated they
would like to have a ring if they could get
some type of matching AFL memento for their
wives, Herrf Jones will produce
pendants which appear like the faces of the
Alumni or Fan rings. (Greatly enlarged
below.) The backs would be flat, and
engraved with up to 17 spaces.
The pendants would be
available in Sterling Silver for $284 and in
10K White Gold or Yellow Gold for $330.
The same simulated stone selections are
available as for the rings. Prices
include engraving, shipping, and handling.
As with the AFL rings, once the amount I
have already paid for setup charges is
recovered, all receipts greater than the
cost of producing, shipping and handling
will be donated to
the retired Pro Football
players' help fund Gridiron
Greats
with the stipulation
that the funds be used to help a retired
American Football League player in need.
If you're interested,
please click below where indicated, to get a printable
PENDANT ORDER FORM. Fill it out, and send it to
Herff Jones with
your check for the appropriate amount.
Prices on the pendants are good only
through July 1, 2008. After that, new
prices will be established based on the
market values of
silver and gold.
Please pass
this page's URL address on to any
former AFL players,
staff, family, friends or fans
that you think might be interested in an
AMERICAN
FOOTBALL LEAGUE ring
or pendant.
IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO PRINT THE ORDER FORM,
EMAIL ME AT
REMEMBERTHEAFL@AOL.COM
WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, AND I'LL MAIL
YOU A FORM.
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Below is a moving letter from AFL fan
John Radocy. Great example, John! |
Ange,
I think the ring is a
tremendous idea! I'm
sending for mine today,
but
listen, if you know of any
AFL
Alumnus that might have fallen on
hard times, or one that has passed
on, whose family can not afford one
of these but would love one, let me
know, I'd like to help out.
I've
already donated to Gridiron Greats,
and intend on doing it again, but to
me, for a former
American Football League
player to have one of these great mementos
that they can pass on to family
would be huge.
I'm sure there are
more than a few fans willing to help
out as well. I
know you refuse to accept any profit
from your site, but I'm sure you can
accept this gesture
for others. As
always, I'll ask if there is
anything I can do to assist you,
please feel free to contact me (and
I really do mean it). The AFL was my
childhood
passion and I'd love to do something
to be involved.
Best Regards,
John Radocy
Life-long
Chief fan
Bethpage, N.Y.
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Another
generous gesture was made by
Broncos
Endzone Sports
Charities,
which presented an AFL
player's ring to one of the
original Broncos,
halfback/place-kicker
Gene Mingo.
To read more,
click here.
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