Collect Auctions will be offering one of the finest 1966 Green Bay Packers team signed footballs ever to hit the hobby in its winter auction, which begins Nov. 14 and ends Dec. 1.
Fifty-three members of the 1966 Packers team, which went on to win Super Bowl I, have signed the near-perfect tan leather football. Among the signatures are 11 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and all the additional notables used bold black ballpoint ink. Most signatures grade between 9/10 and 10/10 according to the auction company. Rare signatures of the late Henry Jordan, Bob Brown, Lee Roy Caffey are present as well as Packers’ coach Vince Lombardi and his staff.
The story is that a Wisconsin waiter provided outstanding service during a team dinner. He was given the team-signed ball as a token of the players’ appreciation. The ball was sold to the consignor a few years ago and has not been bought or sold until now. All signatures on the 1966 Packers team signed football have been authenticated by PSA/DNA with a full letter of authenticity.
Some of the “Super Bowl I” team-signed balls that have sold in recent years were actually signed by the 1967 team, however, this one actually features the roster from the 1966 team that won the first Super Bowl.
The list of signatures includes: Lombardi, Red Cochran (who, in a bit of jocularity, used the trademark ‘R’ to form the first letter of his first name), Ray Nitschke, Jerry Burns, Phil Bengtson, Dave Hanner, Bob Schnelker, Bill Anderson, Max McGee, Kent Nix, Red Mack, Paul Hornung, Boyd Dowdler, Fuzzy Thurston, Herb Adderley, Willie Wood, Gale Gillingham, Jim Weatherwax, Don Anderson, Lionel Aldridge, Bob Jeter, Jim Grabowski, Dave Hathcock, Jeff White, Bart Starr, Allen Brown, Dave Robinson, Bob Long, Elijah Pitts, Forrest Gregg, Roy Schmidt, Bob Skoronski, Carroll Dale, Steve Wright, Bill Curry, Zeke Bratkowski, Tom Crutcher, Ken Bowman, Jim Taylor, Jerry Kramer, Don Chandler, Doug Hart, Phil Vandersea, Willie Davis, Ron Kostelnik, Tom Brown, Marv Fleming, Nitschke (signed twice) and training staff members Dad Braisher and Bud Jorgensen.
The auction takes place on www.collectauctions.com and bids may also be placed by calling 888-463-3063.