This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/29/2020
The 1978 USC Trojans football team, coached by John Robinson, finished the season with a 12-1 record after defeating the Michigan Wolverines, 17–10, in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 1979. They were ranked No. 1 in the final UPI Coaches’ Poll and declared National Champions. The star of the team was tailback Charles White who rushed for 1,859 yards and 13 touchdowns during his junior year at the University of Southern California. As a senior, White would eclipse 2,000 yards with 19 rushing TD’s to claim the Heisman Trophy.
Featured here is the College Football Hall of Fame member’s very own 1978 National Champions ring made of 10-karat gold by Jostens. The striking face sports the famed “USC” logo spelled out in 33 small-cut diamonds surrounded by the words "NATIONAL CHAMPIONS.” (Players had to pay to get diamonds on their rings; otherwise "USC" was spelled out in red ruby stones.) The left shank has the name “WHITE” on a top followed by a helmet with his uniform number “12” at center and “Rose Bowl 79” at the bottom. The right shank has “1978 Trojans” vertically on either side with banners giving the score of USC’s four key victories during the season (Michigan, Notre Dame, UCLA and Alabama). The inside band is hallmarked “©Jostens 10K” with the ever-important “Charles White” script engraving. The size 10¼ ring weighs 30 grams and shows substantial interior wear and moderate wear on the exterior. It is certainly the most significant ring of any member of the ’78 squad, if not the most coveted during the whole John Robinson era.