Lance Alworth, NFL Hall of Famer, gets Super Bowl ring back 25 years after it was stolen

ENCINITAS, California NFL Hall of Famer Lance Alworth is getting back his Super Bowl championship ring, 25 years after it was stolen.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday the 1971 ring was scheduled to be sold Nov. 20 at an auction house in Laguna Niguel with an opening bid of $44,000. The ring was reported stolen in 1988 from a San Diego bar that displayed sports memorabilia.

Investigators say Alworth received a phone call last month demanding $40,000 for the ring he won in the National Football League championship. The former receiver for the San Diego Chargers and the Dallas Cowboys contacted authorities.

So far, no arrests have been made in the case, and now the investigation is being handed over to the District Attorney's Office for review, reports CBS affiliate KFMB in San Diego.

"It's pretty special and I thought I'd never see it again and here it is," Alworth said at a news conference reuniting him with the ring.

This isn't the first time a stolen Super Bowl ring has made its way back to its rightful owner. In 2011, Willie Gault's 1985 Super Bowl ring turned up in a downtown Los Angeles jewelry store, according to CBS Chicago. Authorities returned the ring, along with Gault's wedding ring and five watches, to the retired Bears and Raiders wide receiver.