Wade Phillips' Super Bowl ring has 'wrong name on it'

ByJeff Legwold ESPN logo
Monday, June 13, 2016

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- There are times when Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips will make a joke or two at his own expense -- about his resume, when he's been fired or whether people would know him when he's out and about.

Sunday night, however, he had to fight back a little disappointment about mistaken identity. Phillips will need a new Super Bowl ring after the one he received at the team's extravagant ceremony at the stadium had "the wrong name" on it, according to Phillips.

The incorrect name on Phillips' ring was Peters. The Broncos' assistant director of college scouting is named Adam Peters. His name was correctly displayed on the ring he received.

Phillips said Monday that he's happy he will receive a replacement as quickly as possible from the company -- Jostens -- that made rings for the Broncos. He tweeted about his disappointment Monday morning.

A Jostens representative was at the ceremony Sunday night and apologized to Phillips almost immediately. Phillips is scheduled to get the new ring within a week.

Phillips directed the league's No. 1 defense last season and the Broncos powered through the playoffs and went on to win Super Bowl 50. In his long career, last season was the first time Phillips had been part of a Super Bowl win.

The Broncos finished the season ranked No. 1 in most of the league's major defensive categories, including overall defense, pass defense, sacks and third-down defense.

The rings the Broncos presented to the team were believed to be the biggest of the Super Bowl era. The Broncos players, coaches, personnel staff and football support staff received their rings in a ceremony Sunday night at the downtown stadium.

Each diamond-encrusted ring -- 212 diamonds in all (5.05 total carats) -- has the number "50" in the middle with "World" across the top of the face of the ring and "Champions" across the bottom. The rings also feature three Lombardi trophies for the franchise's three Super Bowl wins and a Broncos logo in the middle.

One side of each ring says, "This one's for Pat," in honor of team owner Pat Bowlen, and the other side bears the recipient's name.

Phillips riffed a line or two of Drake's "Big Rings" following practice last week when asked how often he would wear the ring.

"As soon as I get it, I'm going to put it on," Phillips said. "I may wear it all the time. We'll see. It's a really big ring. It's a really big thing. We've got a really big team -- as Drake would say."