Two things are certain about the auction price that the Iron Bowl helmet of former Auburn cornerback Chris Davis recently drew. One, the new record auction price for an autographed helmet should be safe for a while. And two, there's an Auburn fan out there somewhere with a big pile of money to burn.
The helmet that Davis wore during his instant-classic 109-yard return of a missed field goal to knock rival Alabama out of national championship contention last year sold for $47,190 Sunday, according to espn.com. That's nearly twice as much as the auction house initially expected, and it was confirmed the winner was an Auburn alum. The previous auction standard for an autographed helmet was an Ohio State helmet from the Heisman Trophy-winning days of former Buckeyes star Archie Griffin.
"This helmet from one of the most historic and notable plays in college football goes down as one of the highest priced pieces of collegiate sports memorabilia ever sold, and certainly the most valuable that has been auctioned from a player or event that occurred within the past 20 years," said Ken Goldin of Goldin Auctions.
Davis, now of the San Diego Chargers, has made one start this season and has recorded 11 tackles as a rookie.
Davis' play knocked Alabama out of the national title race and essentially put Auburn in it, propelling the Tigers to the SEC title game against Missouri, followed by a national championship game appearance against FSU. Alabama was relegated to the Sugar Bowl as the SEC West runner-up. The 2014 Iron Bowl is shaping up to have potentially similar stakes. If both teams enter the game at 11-1, and Mississippi State falls out of contention, the Iron Bowl winner will once again go to the SEC title game with a College Football Playoff berth on the line.
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