Miami Hurricanes’ turnover chain set a celebratory standard across the college football landscape
In their history, the Miami Hurricanes have had iconic teams, larger-than-life players and signature swag wherever they go.
But in 2017, the Hurricanes elevated the drip to a higher level when they unveiled a shiny new chain to reward defensive players who registered turnovers. Since then, the gold Cuban link chains have become synonymous with Miami football and set a new standard across college football for defensive celebrations.
Dubbed the turnover chain, the celebratory jewelry that launched numerous imitators debuted four years ago. Then-Miami defensive coordinator Manny Diaz is credited for the concept, and jeweler AJ Machado, aka the King of Bling, brought the idea to life
“I was like, ‘That’s the most enormous, gaudy thing I’ve seen in my entire life,'” Joel Rodriguez, Miami’s director of player development in 2017, said to ESPN’s Andrea Adelson in 2017 when he first saw the chain. “But it’s supposed to be larger than life. That’s what it’s for.”
Since then, many teams have tried to copy the chain’s impact with props ranging from bags and belts to slot machines and crowns to celebrate turnovers and big plays.
Here are some of the most memorable:
College classroom essentials
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Florida State swats the ball from N’Kosi Perry and falls on it to set up great field position.
Florida State’s backpack
In 2018, the Florida State Seminoles used a turnover backpack to flex after takeaways. The bag came out during the team’s game against Samford that year after A.J. Westbrook grabbed an interception. The school viewed the item as defensive players “securing the bag” after a turnover, per USA Today — and this wasn’t your typical school backpack.
The turnover prop was a red Crown Collection backpack from Prime Society, priced at $495 according to the company’s website. Despite the bag’s hefty price tag, then-Seminoles coach Willie Taggart and his players didn’t use it again after 2018 — ending the “Turnover Backpack” era after one year, per the
Source : espn
