As Super Bowl 60 approaches this Sunday, it’s a good time to be reminded of the bodacious bling possessed by Illini Coach Bret Bielema. In addition to the Rose Bowl ring that he earned during his playing days (1990 Iowa Hawkeyes, Big Ten Co-Champions, who lost to Washington 46-34), he also has a ring Super Bowl ring.
It’s from Super Bowl LIII, when he served as the defensive line coach under Bill Belichick, with the New England Patriots.
It was also in the NFL that Bielema first learned about the T-bar signal, which is a gesture used to limit the potential for injury on kickoff returns. Right now, Bielema and the T-bar signal is such a thing that you can go online and buy a t-shirt that depicts him doing it.
It’s a reference to the infamous and controversial Citrus Bowl incident, which you can learn more about at RG. It was a heated incident, between Bielema and South Carolina coach Shane Beamer, and it’s an episode that won’t be forgotten.
But let’s get to those Rose Bowl and Super Bowl rings- there is a stark difference in valuation.
I’ll let Bielema tell it, as he did at the Citrus Bowl preview press conference.
“Bowl games have evolved so much,” Bielema said.
“Commonly during my recruiting pitches when we have kids on campus, I show them the 1990 Rose Bowl that I was a part of as a player. That Rose Bowl ring, when I bring kids on campus, sits right next to a Super Bowl ring.
“I think that Rose Bowl ring was $150 by NCAA rules back then, and it sits next to a Super Bowl ring that was $88,000. 20 fake diamonds versus 220 real diamonds.
“I always say to people, those are two cool rings, and a lot of people would say the Super Bowl ring has more value, but both of those rings mean everything to me, because it represents a year.”
220 diamonds?! Damn! That is icy.
In the words of Gucci Mane “so icy I get chill bumps on my neck.”
Bielema continued on, discussing the motivation for his side in this game:
“I think that’s what it gets down to. We’re not saying any kid any amount of dollars to play in this game.
“I know some teams have done that and that’s perfectly great for them, but our kids want to be here and are a part of it.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.