Hakeem Nicks' Giants Super Bowl Ring Sells For Staggering Price
As the former NFL star of the New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts, Hakeem Nicks is a member of an elite club of decorated athletes. However, the ex football star just joined an even more exclusive club: athletes who've auctioned off their Super Bowl rings. Recently, TMZ Sports broke the news that Nicks was utilizing Heritage Auctions to sell his ring, won against the New England Patriots in 2012. And while, in the past, some former professionals have resorted to selling their rings for dental hygiene, tax debt, or even drugs, according to Mental Floss, Nicks is selling his ring all in the name of charity.
Originally, the ring — encrusted with diamonds and blue sapphires — was supposed to garner around $80,000. However, as TMZ reports, there's an intensely devoted Nicks' fan out there who thought the ring was worth far more, to the tune of $117,000. As impressive as it is to garner nearly $40,000 more than the estimated valuation, there are athletes who've racked up even bigger paydays for their rings.
How Hakeem Nicks' payday compares to other athletes
Even with a portion of the Hakeem Nicks' proceeds going to charity, $117,000 is still a massive payday for his Super Bowl ring, which according to Heritage Auction, comes with a letter of provenance and is engraved with the phrases "all in" and "finish" — callbacks to Nicks' former coach (via Heavy). However, Nicks' impressive payout doesn't even remotely compare to the gargantuan sums other athletes and industry professionals have been able to swing.
For example, football legend Tom Brady's "Friends & Family" Super Bowl ring — rings allocated to the winning team's close personal circle — racked up $344,000 at a private auction in 2018, according to CBS Sports. Meanwhile, William "Refrigerator" Perry's 1985 Super Bowl ring, which wasn't in his possession at the time, sold for slightly less — $201,150 in 2015, according to CBS News. Still, none of these cushy payouts compare to New England Patriot owner Robert Kraft, who auctioned off one of his many Super Bowl rings for $1.025 million to support COVID-19 relief, according to Reuters.
Given that fans are known to be an incredibly impassioned bunch, it's no surprise that some (with deep enough pockets) have gone to great lengths to obtain a little bit of their favorite team's legacy for themselves.