Warbler said:

I got curious as to what the trophy was that was awarded to NFL champion before they merged with the AFL and had the Superbowl. The first NFL championship trophy was called the Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup, it was awarded to the 1920 Akron Pros. It was lost and no knows what happened to it. It seems they next created a trophy in 1934 called the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy. It was handed from champion to champion, much like the Stanley Cup, until 1969. In 1969 it was given to the Minnesota Vikings(they were NFL champions that year, but lost the Superbowl).

Here is a picture of a replica of the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy:

That was the last year before the merger. The Vikings apparently lost the trophy. Minnesotatians, WHERE IS THE ED THORP MEMORIAL TROPHY!?

btw, I was unable to find out what the the AFL championship trophy was called but here is a picture of the two that the Buffalo Bills won:

I think it would be neat if the NFL awarded these trophies to the NFC and AFC champions.

Those trophys look so much better than the new "arty" design.