Anthony John Machado, better known as AJ, got the call from Miami cornerbacks coach Mike Rumph roughly two weeks before the Hurricanes’ opener.
Rumph, the 2002 first-round pick out of UM, had purchased from AJ’s Jewelry during his six-year professional career. He’s not alone. Dubbed the “King of Bling,” Machado claims more than 700 active NFL players among his clientele.
Put on speaker phone while fellow ex-Hurricane Vince Wilfork was in Machado’s Cutler Bay office for an unrelated purchase, Rumph told Machado that defensive coordinator Manny Diaz was looking for a prop to incentivize turnovers forced by his players — similar to what Alabama does with its wrestling belt — and, of course, “to bring the swag back.