This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/7/2014
Jim Kelly earned trips to 5 Pro Bowls in during his Hall of Fame and holds the distinction of being the only quarterback in NFL history to lead his team to four straight Super Bowl appearances. He holds every passing record for the Buffalo Bills, where he played the entirety of his 11 NFL seasons after a 2-year stint in the USFL. Kelly was diagnosed with jaw cancer in 2013 but as of August 2014 has been declared cancer-free. He is undoubtedly the city of Buffalo's most beloved athlete. Featured is a Jim Kelly 1991 Pro Bowl Player of the Game Trophy, also called the Dan McGuire Award. This particular trophy was the back-up given to the consignor who worked in conjunction with the NFL. The design of this trophy has evolved over the years from what it looks like today. This version has a bronze coin (4" in diameter) encapsulated in a thick Plexiglas plaque (6.25" wide by 7.75" tall with a 4.5" base). The front of the coin features three football players sculpted in the metal with "AFC NFC PRO BOWL - DAN McGUIRE AWARD." The back of the coin reads "THIS PLAQUE HONORS THE MEMORY AND THE WORK OF DAN McGUIRE, A SPORTS JOURNALIST WHO CHAMPIONED COMPETITION AND INTEGRITY IN A LONG CAREER THAT ENDED IN HAWAII. EACH YEAR, THE DAN McGUIRE AWARD IS PRESENTED TO THE AFC-NFC PRO BOWL PLAYER OF THE GAME, AS SELECTED BY THE ATTENDING MEDIA." A nameplate on the Plexi base reads "PLAYER OF THE GAME - JIM KELLY - FEBRUARY 3, 1991 HONOLULU." The trophy comes in pristine condition.
Includes a Letter of Provenance from collector Robert Zweigle.
The Robert Zweigle collection represents 40 years of assembling sports memorabilia items from college and professional football, professional golf and NCAA basketball. Bob Zweigle was a major supplier of promotional products to the NFL who personally attended 38 Super Bowls, working closely with NFL personnel and establishing unique connections that helped grow his collection. He designed/produced Super Bowl press pins from XXV through XXXIX (the final year the NFL produced its own pins). He also designed/produced the Player Participation Trophy and Player of the Game Trophy for the Pro Bowl, as well as the Arena Bowl Championship Trophy. He made it a personal quest to obtain in-person autographs on important memorabilia items at many sporting events wherein he had rare and unusual access.