1994 Arizona Rattlers ArenaBowl VIII Championship Ring — Player
This is a genuine 1994 Arizona Rattlers ArenaBowl VIII Championship ring in 10k gold with diamonds, crafted by Jostens — a piece of arena football history from one of the most memorable upsets in the league's history. The Rattlers were just three years old when they walked into Amway Arena in Orlando and beat the best team in the league. This ring is what they earned for doing it.
The upset that launched a dynasty — ArenaBowl VIII
The Arizona Rattlers entered ArenaBowl VIII as the #3 seed with an 8–4 regular season record, facing the #1 Orlando Predators — who had gone 11–1, the best record in the league. Everything pointed to Orlando. The Rattlers were a third-year expansion team playing on the road in the Predators' home arena. What followed was one of the great upsets in AFL history. Quarterback Sherdrick Bonner was named ArenaBowl MVP after throwing three touchdown passes and adding a rushing score, leading Arizona back from an early deficit to win 36–31. The victory gave the Rattlers their first championship in franchise history — and launched what would become the most decorated dynasty in the history of arena football, with the Rattlers going on to win five ArenaBowl championships in total. The game was later ranked #14 on the Arena Football League's 20 Greatest Highlights Countdown.
Crafted by Jostens — one of the most respected names in championship ring manufacturing — in 10k gold with diamonds, this ring was made to the exacting standards of a legitimate professional championship piece. An exceptional find for any serious sports memorabilia or arena football collector.
| Year | 1994 |
| Championship | ArenaBowl VIII — first ArenaBowl to use Roman numerals |
| Material | 10k Gold with diamonds |
| Manufacturer | Jostens |
| ArenaBowl result | Rattlers def. Orlando Predators (#1 seed), 36–31 |
| Game location | Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida — September 2, 1994 |
| ArenaBowl MVP | Sherdrick Bonner, QB — 3 TD passes, 1 rushing TD |
| Head coach | Danny White (AFL Coach of the Year 1993 · Arena Football Hall of Fame) |
| Franchise championships | 1st of 5 ArenaBowl titles (1994, 1997, 2012, 2013, 2014) |
| Historical note | Rated #14 on the AFL's 20 Greatest Highlights Countdown |
1994 Arizona Rattlers — Quick Facts
- The Rattlers were just three years old when they won their first championship — entering as the #3 seed on the road against the league's best team and winning in one of the great upsets in AFL history
- ArenaBowl VIII was the first ArenaBowl to carry a Roman numeral — all seven previous championship games had been named by year; the 1994 game set the naming convention that the league used for every championship that followed
- Head coach Danny White — the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and Arizona State legend — guided the Rattlers to the title and is now a member of the Arena Football Hall of Fame; he compiled a 141–65 coaching record with Arizona
- The Arizona Rattlers are one of the most successful franchises in the history of arena football — making the playoffs in 27 of their 33 seasons and winning five ArenaBowl championships, the most of any franchise alongside the Tampa Bay Storm
- The franchise was co-founded by Jerry Colangelo — owner of the NBA's Phoenix Suns — giving the Rattlers an organizational infrastructure that set them apart from most AFL franchises and helped sustain their championship-level performance for over two decades
- The original AFL folded in 2009, making every piece of championship hardware from the original league a true historical artifact from a sport that existed in its original form for just 22 seasons