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When he delivered it to the Miami coaches 10 days later, they were floored.
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Machado got to work, special ordering all the stones, then setting each one by hand. They all agreed they needed a thick, 10-karat-gold Cuban link chain because its screams "Miami." Then they decided on a massive "U" charm filled with orange and green sapphire stones, to elevate the swag to the highest possible level. Cornerbacks coach Mike Rumph had hired Machado for jewelry in the past, so he called him up and told him what Diaz wanted.įormer Miami defensive tackle Vince Wilfork happened to be in the jewelry shop at the time Rumph called. It was not a novel approach: Alabama gives out a championship belt, and other teams have their own little gimmicks. 13 Virginia Tech on Saturday in prime time.ĭiaz initially came up with the idea to give his players extra incentive to create turnovers. 10 headed into a crucial ACC Coastal Division showdown against No. Of course, it helps that Miami is 7-0 and ranked No. The chain is quintessential Miami: flashy, swaggy, in your face, loud and flamboyant. The driving force behind its popularity is what it represents. "I knew it was going to be big because no one has done the chain, but this has been crazy," Machado said. Nobody inside the Miami football offices did, either. It also spawned a burgeoning cottage industry: Two companies now create officially licensed turnover chain T-shirts, and people from the little boy trick-or-treating to secretaries at the University of Miami to fans across South Florida have made their own homemade chains with supplies from crafting stores.īack in late August when he finished the jewelry, Machado had no idea how popular it would become. The brainchild of defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, the chain went viral after it made its debut in Week 1. Machado, a jeweler known as the King of Bling with hundreds of NFL clients, has seen these makeshift turnover chains pop up across South Florida, in honor of the gaudy, blinged-out chain he handcrafted for the Miami football team over the summer. "My brother thought I had to see it," Machado says with a laugh. Then he realized why his brother sent the photo.Īround his neck, the boy wore his own makeshift turnover chain made from a shoelace and cardboard. When he opened the message, Machado saw a picture of a young boy he didn't recognize. Miami's turnover chain: 36 inches and 5.5 pounds of sapphire-studded swagĪJ Machado got a text from his brother on Halloween night.
Miami football turnover chain upgrade#
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