1962 - 1966 Stewart "Smokey" Stover Collection
APPRAISER:
You brought us an AFL-NFL tr, football treasure trove today! We've got a 1962 Houston Texans AFL ring, a 1966 Kansas City Chiefs AFL ring...
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
...and this great game-used jersey with "Stover" on the back, who I'm guessing is Smokey Stover. How do you know Smokey Stover, and how'd you bring this stuff into us today at the ROADSHOW?
GUEST:
Hm. Smokey Stover is my father. We had, uh, been wanting to figure out what we had and decided to come to the ROADSHOW. He went to
Northeast Louisiana University. Uh, he was a fullback there, and, uh, excelled. When he left, he wanted to continue playing football, and walked on for the Dallas Texans. So he played for the Texans.
APPRAISER:
Now, the next year, Lamar Hunt, who was one of the founders of the AFL in 1960, moved the team to Kansas City.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
So how did your father feel about that?
GUEST:
They were excited. Uh, Lamar had laid out a plan for 'em on how they were going to move up in the world. And they all bought on, bought in. Went to Kansas City and said, "Let's have a go at it." And they had a go at it.
APPRAISER:
Well, they certainly did-- they rose in the rankings. And in 1966, they had a great year in the AFL and ended up playing in the Super Bowl.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
The AFL was founded in 1960 and they were an upstart. And, you know, at the first, the NFL didn't think too much of it, because they had h, already had challenges from other rival leagues.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
But what made the AFL different is that they started going after players that would have normally gone to the NFL.
GUEST:
AFL. Yes, they did.
APPRAISER:
Like your father.
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
So now you fast-forward to 1966. They decided they were going to sign a merger. They had battled each other too long, and they were
putting each other out of business. So instead, they were going to merge after the '69 season. But in the meantime, they were going to have a game between the AFL and the NFL.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm. Yep.
APPRAISER:
And once they signed this deal in '66 in June, they decided to have the first AFL-NFL championship game...
GUEST:
...NFL championship, mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
...January 15, 1967, in Los Angeles.
GUEST:
(coughs) Yes, mm-hmm.
GUEST:
L.A. Coliseum.
APPRAISER:
Your father got to go there. That year, they played this championship game. But after that, none other than Lamar Hunt coined the phrase that we all know today...
GUEST:
The Super Bowl.
APPRAISER:
Absolutely. (chuckles) The game is played, and your father wore this jersey in the game.
GUEST:
Yes, he did. That is a worn jersey. We've grown up with all the stories, all the, the players that used to come by the house and sit and talk,
and just being a little guy and hearing all of these stories was pretty amazing. We had a really good life.
APPRAISER:
Let's just talk about this Dallas Texans ring. This is a championship game ring. It's very important because it marks part of the passage, the development of the history of the Texans, moving into the Chiefs and moving from the AFL to the NFL. We're going to talk insurance today, 'cause that's what, really what you're looking for.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
I would not insure that for any less than probably $30,000.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
Okay? Now we're talking about a ring from the AFL championship.
GUEST:
(coughs)
APPRAISER:
Again, we're looking at, believe it or not, same thing-- about $30,000 insurance.
GUEST:
...thousand dollars on that, okay.
APPRAISER:
Now, the game-used jersey is just fabulous. Is, is this him in the Super Bowl? Tell me about this photo.
GUEST:
Yes, it is. They must have gone down and made the tackle on the punt.
APPRAISER:
What are these?
GUEST:
These are the, uh, the undershirts.
APPRAISER:
Right?
GUEST:
Where, actually, uh, in the locker room, uh, you, you wear this shirt underneath this before you go on the field. That's actually his undershirt
and the game jersey. And that's his from the Dallas Texans, still with the bloodstains.
APPRAISER:
I would place a, an insurance estimate, and having this underneath, $40,000.
GUEST:
$40,000-- that is wonderful.
APPRAISER:
So if we total it all up, I think we're looking at $100,000 insurance.
GUEST:
...in insurance. That's what we needed to know, and I appreciate it. Most everybody wants to see the rings, and he does wear 'em, uh, when
he goes out to dinner. He's let several people put 'em on. Try it on
Appraisal Details
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