Jerry Kramer is selling his Superbowl I Ring
"I took aIl my moments home and put them in a trunk. And some day I was gonna get in that trunk and enjoy it. I haven’t got time to do that. I’m still running, I’m still busy, I’m still doing. I’m still having a wonderful time, so I don’t have time for yesterday. I guess I’m worried about tomorrow and thinking about tomorrow." – Jerry Kramer
When I first saw the headline “Jerry Kramer Selling Super Bowl I Ring” I was worried that he may be having financial problems. I was happy to find out that he’s doing just fine and plans to use the money to create a college fund for his grandchildren.
Jerry Kramer's Super Bowl I ring will be put up for auction, along with other memorabilia on February 20-21, 2016
I know many people will wonder why he would give up something that carries so many good memories. After all, that’s why they call it memorabilia. This won’t be the first time or the last time that a Super Bowl ring will be put on the auction block. There are many sad, crazy and fun tales about Super Bowl Rings, but this one has a happy ending.
What everyone should know, is that Jerry understands the sentimental value of the ring. He knows what it represents and what it symbolizes. He almost lost it forever. He talks about it in this YouTube clip:
The auction company eventually returned the original Super Bowl ring to Kramer. In return, Kramer gave his replica ring to the auction company where $22,000 was raised. Kramer founded Gridiron Greats and the $22,000 became the initial capital for the organization.
“I count that as one of my major contributions in life,” Kramer said.
This coming Saturday, January 23, 2016, Jerry will be celebrating his 80th birthday. The average lifespan for most former players is 75, so you can see why he doesn’t have time for yesterday, and I applaud him for taking that attitude.
Sometimes we get so caught up in yesterday that we forget about today. We forget about the things that we can do right now to help others that are less fortunate. We forget about what we can do right now to bring about a better future for those who are close to us.
You can hear Jerry tell us in his own words why he is selling some off his memorabilia at this YouTube clip:
Jerry has a chance to help his grandchildren secure a better life. Isn’t that more important than anything else?
The ring is just a symbol……. but nothing can replace the value of the memory of what he and the Green Bay Packers accomplished by winning the very first Super Bowl.
