Super Bowl trophy: Why is it called the Lombardi trophy?

The Lombardi Trophy is one of the most recognizable trophies in sports, and it’s the prize every NFL franchise strives for in the future. The trophy received its name prior to the fifth Super Bowl to honor former Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi, who died in 1970 at 57 years old.

Lombardi won the first two Super Bowls with the Packers in 1966 and 1967. Green Bay knocked off the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 in the first Super Bowl and Oakland Raiders 33-14 in the second year. Packers quarterback Bart Starr was named the MVP in both contests.

Lombardi won five championships in his time with Green Bay, and the trophy was named after him in 1970 after he died in September of that year. The Packers won two more Super Bowls since then, but no franchise hoisted the Lombardi Trophy more than the New England Patriots or Pittsburgh Steelers, both of which won it all six times.

This article can also be found in our Ultimate Guide to Super Bowl 57, presented by Frank’s Red Hot.