2001 New England Patriots Super Bowl XXXVI Championship Ring Presented to Lineman Maurice Anderson....

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The dynasty begins!

2001 New England Patriots Super Bowl XXXVI Championship Ring Presented to Lineman Maurice Anderson. The coronation was improbable in every regard. When quarterback Drew Bledsoe suffered internal bleeding after a brutal hit from New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis in the second game of the 2001 NFL season, it was unheralded Tom Brady that was called to duty. He had been selected with the 199th selection of the 2000 draft, a sixth-round compensatory pick. In his first two starts, Brady posted passer ratings of 79.6 and 58.7. With just a single victory after four games, the long-suffering sports fans of New England resigned themselves to a lost season.

But game five saw the young QB find his stride as he orchestrated two scoring drives to force overtime, and a third to set up a winning field goal to sink the San Diego Chargers. Brady would lose only twice more in 2001, in weeks seven and ten, stringing together an unbroken chain of nine victories to close out the season, inclusive of a dramatic twenty to seventeen defeat of the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. It was the first taste of glory for the Patriots franchise, and for the man that would prove to be its greatest star.

Presented is the ring issued to one of Brady's teammates on that inaugural Championship squad, lineman Maurice Anderson, who consigns it to our Platinum Night auction personally with his handwritten letter of provenance. After a half century of Championship drought, management spared no expense in the creation, the ring face smothered in real diamonds that cover every square centimeter not inhabited by the red and blue stones of the team logo, or by the raised text boldly proclaiming "World Champions."

Left shank identifies the recipient by surname and jersey number along with a figural helmet, the season's impressive record, and the word "Team." Left shank supplies vintage, the Super Bowl's final score, a diamond-topped Lombardi Trophy in miniature, and the letters "U.S.A.," indicative of the swelling patriotism that the terror attacks of 9/11 months earlier had inspired. Interior band is stamped "Josten's 14K" and measures to a massive size fifteen (15).

Ring exhibits proud wear--please see online enlargeable images for inspection--and is presented in its original hinged wooden display case. Letter of provenance from Maurice Anderson.