Former NFL player loses Super Bowl ring while running errands in Gilbert

GILBERT, Ariz. - A former NFL player lost his 1989 Super Bowl ring while running errands in Gilbert.

NFL linebacker Chris Washington hopes whoever finds the San Francisco 49ers Championship ring will return it to him.

He believes he lost his Super Bowl ring when he was out grocery shopping in Gilbert.

This is more than just a Super Bowl ring for Chris. The ring is what he shows young athletes to inspire them to want to play in the NFL.

He remembers winning the Super Bowl in 1989 like it was yesterday.

"It was a dream come true. I watched football growing up and then all of a sudden, I'm one of those guys now," he said.

He's worn the ring on his right hand almost every day since.

"It meant so much to me. I use that when I speak to students, and it's something they're looking for. Where's the ring? Where's the ring?" he said.

Throughout his seven years in the NFL, he played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals.

Once he retired, he went back to school to finish his bachelors and get his masters. He also spent a lot of his time coaching young athletes.

"Chris used that ring and allowed the kids to wear the ring and take pictures with it as a reflection of dedication, hard work," his wife Julia said.

In 2016, Chris was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

"He also has significant short term and long term memory loss, and it's been attributed to concussions suffered while he was playing football," she said.

Chris and his wife tried to pinpoint when he may have lost his ring.

"We went to dinner one night, I got back home and didn't realize I didn't have the ring on my finger," he said.

Chris Washington

Julia says they went to Fry's, Costco, Total Wine, and WinCo near Pecos and Higley roads in Gilbert on March 14.

That's when they may have lost it in a parking lot.

"I thought the clanking noise was the seat belt buckle hitting the metal door frame. So it just, it never in a million years dawned on me to take a closer look and see if anything fell," Julia said.

They're hoping this sentimental treasure falls into the hands of a good Samaritan.

"We'd like to be able to get it back and we hope that someone finds it and maybe, maybe through this story, someone recognizes it and reaches out," Julia said.

If you happen to find the ring, the Washington family is asking that you hand it over to the Gilbert Police Department or contact Julia at julia.bussell@gmail.com.

The couple is offering a reward.