Auction Item Details
Lot 129
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Lot Number: 129
Description: "Paul Hornung autographed Official Wilson “The Duke” NFL Football with Attribution to Super Bowl I. Official Wilson NFL football having Commissioner Pete Rozelle stampings along with “Thorp Sporting Goods, New York” insignia on one side panel and “The Duke” stamping on opposite panel. Signed in faded black marker on adjacent panel, “To David, My man, Paul Hornung” rating 6 out of 10. The ball itself exhibits evident use including some general surface wear and most notably appropriate soiling/residue on the white lacings. Paul Hornung met Frank Metts while in their young teenage years in Louisville, Ky. The two shared a close family friend and became lifelong friends. The jersey was presented to Frank’s son (and Hornung’s Godson), David Metts, in the early 1980s era along with the Paul Hornung Green Bay Packers jersey within this auction. The aforementioned autograph “To David” was in fact to Metts himself by Hornung. Upon presentation of the ball to young Metts it was relayed directly by Hornung to both Metts and his father that it had been used on the inaugural Super Bowl played in 1967. Based on data supplied by the Pro Football Hall of Fame there were two types of footballs used in Super Bowl !. The Chiefs used a Spalding AFC model J5V ball when on offense while the Packers used a Wilson “The Duke” model on offense. The offered Hornung football compares very favorably with two documented examples of Super Bowl I footballs as used by the Packers within the Pro Football Hall of Fame collection. Additionally, Paul Hornung was the only rostered Packers player to not play in Super Bowl I due to injury. It ended up being Hornung’s final game in uniform to which it is extremely plausible if not likely that he would either retain or be given a ball from the game that day. Although impossible to succinctly document game use within the inaugural Super Bowl we can form strongly based conclusions. Given the appropriate ball type, specific primary source provenance, and aforementioned supportive documentation we are able soundly attribute the offered football to the inaugural Super Bowl played in 1967. The ball is one of only a very minute population of credible examples and is being offered for the first time publicly. Includes LOA from Hunt Auctions (football) and notarized letter or provenance from Paul Hornung’s Godson, David Metts: EX"Estimated Price Range: ($20,000-$40,000)
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