2001 St. Louis Rams NFC Championship Ring — Player-Issued
From the "Greatest Show on Turf," this 14K gold and diamond NFC Championship ring commemorates a team that went 14-2 and owned the best record in the NFL. Kurt Warner took home his second league MVP award that year, Marshall Faulk led the NFL in total touchdowns, and Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt combined for over 2,400 receiving yards. On January 27, 2002, the Rams held off Donovan McNabb's Philadelphia Eagles 29-24, with Faulk running for 159 yards and two second-half touchdowns, to punch their ticket to Super Bowl XXXVI.
What happened next is one of the most famous upsets in NFL history. The Rams entered New Orleans as 14-point favorites against a New England Patriots team led by a little-known second-year quarterback named Tom Brady. Adam Vinatieri's 48-yard field goal as time expired gave New England a 20-17 victory and launched the most dominant dynasty the league has ever seen. That makes this NFC Championship ring, the final ring of the St. Louis Greatest Show on Turf era.
The Greatest Show on Turf
From 1999 through 2001, the St. Louis Rams fielded what many consider the most explosive offense in NFL history. It began with one of the greatest stories the sport has ever produced: when starter Trent Green went down in the 1999 preseason, the job fell to Kurt Warner, an undrafted former Arena Football quarterback who had once stocked grocery shelves in Iowa. Warner was named league MVP and led the Rams to a 23-16 win over Tennessee in Super Bowl XXXIV, sealed when Mike Jones stopped Kevin Dyson a yard short of the goal line on the final play. Marshall Faulk followed as MVP in 2000, and Warner won it again in 2001, giving the Rams three straight MVP awards. Throwing to Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt behind Orlando Pace, the Rams topped 500 points in three consecutive seasons, the first team ever to do it. Warner, Faulk, Bruce and Pace are all enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as is 2001 defensive leader Aeneas Williams.
This ring was presented to a member of the Rams' starting lineup. Player-issued rings are far scarcer on the market than staff and front-office rings, and this example remains complete with its original presentation box. The Rams would not return to the Super Bowl until the 2018 season, by which time the franchise had left St. Louis for Los Angeles.
| Championship | 2001 NFC Championship — St. Louis Rams 29, Philadelphia Eagles 24 |
| Type | Player-issued (starting player) with Box |
| Material | 14K gold |
| Stones | Diamonds |
| Manufacturer | Jostens |
| Regular Season Record | 14-2 |
2001 St. Louis Rams NFC Championship Ring — Quick Facts
- The 2001 Rams went 14-2, the best record in the NFL, and led the league in scoring at over 31 points per game.
- They became the first team in NFL history to score 500+ points in three straight seasons.
- A Rams player won league MVP for the third straight year: Warner (1999), Faulk (2000) and Warner again (2001).
- Marshall Faulk ran for a career playoff-high 159 yards and two touchdowns in the 29-24 NFC title win over the Eagles.
- Super Bowl XXXVI was the first Super Bowl played in February, delayed a week after the September 11 attacks.
- The Rams were 14-point favorites, but Adam Vinatieri's last-second field goal gave New England its first-ever championship and launched the Brady dynasty.
- This NFC ring is the only championship ring awarded to the 2001 Rams, and the last of the St. Louis Greatest Show on Turf era.