This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/10/2001.
Before Hugh McElhenny became "The King" during his 13-year, TD-packed NFL career, he earned his royal stripes as "Hurryin' Hugh" as a big raw-boned kid at Compton (California) Junior College, where in 1948 he busted through defensive lines for 1,184 yards and 17 TDs and compiled an average 9 yards per carry to lead the school to the national junior college title. That season was McElhenny's springboard to fame, getting him a transfer to Washington University where he won All-American honors and then to the NFL, to feast on pro defenses to the tune of 60 TDs over 13 seasons. McElhenny was one of the most important figures in the game's development, and this ring presented to him for winning the JC title is an extraordinary artifact of the Hall of Famer's (both college and pro) long and distinguished career. The ring has an engraving of a football with a red "C" on it, surrounded by "National Champions" in gold. The right shank has "19" and the left shank "48."While some color has faded, the ring can only be called kingly.