The National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia, is celebrating Super Bowl LX by unveiling the Marine Football display during a ceremony on Jan. 28.
The display highlights more than 50 years of Marine Corps football, from early teams to highly competitive inter-service matchups. Visitors will encounter five remarkable artifacts, including three signed footballs.
“This display celebrates teamwork, discipline, and the Marine spirit beyond the battlefield,” said Keil Gentry, Director of the National Museum of the Marine Corps. “It reminds us that competition, resilience, and camaraderie are as much a part of Marine identity as service in combat.”
Marine Football will offer visitors a new perspective of Marine identity beyond the battlefield by highlighting how competition, discipline, and teamwork shaped Marines in every era through Football. It also showcases how sport reinforced unit cohesion, leadership, and resilience while also connecting Marines to the wider American public through shared traditions of athletics.
The display includes a 1935 China Marines football used by the 4th Marines team in Shanghai, China, as well as the final version of the Quantico Marines football helmet featuring the iconic “M” decal derived from the Marine Corps 1859 cover emblem.
Its centerpiece is the painting Semper Fi on the Field by artist Jason Breidenbach that commemorates the legacy of Marine football at Quantico.
Showcasing Marine football’s lasting impact, the display notes that during its history, the Marine Corps fielded 13 of the most talented football teams in the country, and produced 21 All-Pro NFL players.
The event will feature music by the Quantico Marine Band and remarks by retired Marine Lt. Col. Ronald Eckert and museum leadership.
The New England Patriots will face off against the Seattle Seahawks in this year's Super Bowl on Feb. 8 on NBC and will be streamed on Peacock.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.