It’s hard to believe the University of Miami’s Turnover Chain only lasted five seasons.
For a while, it felt like it had always been a part of Hurricanes football.
The idea was simple. In 2017, defensive coordinator Manny Diaz wanted to give his players something for creating turnovers. UM cornerbacks coach Mike Rumph talked with South Florida jeweler AJ Machado, who took the idea and … let’s say went a little overboard.
The first chain was a 36-inch, 10-karat-gold Cuban link that weighed about 5.5 pounds. Hanging from it was a giant orange-and-green “U.”
It was also exactly right for Miami.
Diaz kept it hidden from the players before the season opener against Bethune-Cookman. When Malek Young intercepted a pass in the end zone, the chain came out for the first time.
And then Miami turned the Turnover Chain into a show.
Every time the defense got a takeaway, the cameras found the player coming off the field. Teammates would gather around, the chain would go over his head, and the players put on a show for the cameras.
And the timing couldn’t have been better.
Miami had playmakers all over the field – defensive back Jaquan Johnson, linebacker Shaq Quarterman, linebacker Michael Pinckney – and forced 30 turnovers that season.
Four of those turnovers, including three interceptions, came in a 41-8 rout of third-ranked Notre Dame at Hard Rock Stadium.
It was one of those games when Miami football felt like it had its old personality back.
The Hurricanes finished 10-3, won the ACC Coastal Division and went to the Orange Bowl, with the Turnover Chain becoming one of the defining images of the season.
The chain got bigger. And more Miami
The original “U” didn’t last long.
In 2018, Miami introduced a jeweled Sebastian the Ibis.
The next year, the chain became a giant “305.” Later versions featured a state of Florida outline and, eventually, a Miami helmet.
The designs changed, but the basic idea stayed the same: Come up with a turnover, put some uniquely South Florida jewelry around your neck, celebrate with your teammates and let the cameras have their moment.
Sure, it was a little ridiculous. But that was part of the fun.
“It’s one thing to have a novelty like that and, ‘Oh, it looks stupid.’ But it ain’t stupid when you lead the nation in turnovers and you’re winning. It was so much fun,” said Mark Richt, UM’s head coach from 2016-18.
The chain became bigger than the play that earned it. It showed up in highlight packages and commercials and on the sidelines of some of the biggest games of the season.
Other schools copied the idea, too, but Miami’s version always had a little more personality.
Because this was Miami.
A five-pound gold chain with a giant emblem hanging from it somehow made perfect sense.
And then it went away.
Turnover Chain had short run, left big mark
When Mario Cristobal took over as head coach in 2022, Miami retired the Turnover Chain.
The program was moving into another era, and Cristobal wanted to establish his own culture and standards.
That was the end of it. No dramatic final ceremony. No great sendoff.
It just stopped showing up on the sideline.
And maybe that’s why it still feels a little strange to see clips of it.
The chain wasn’t around long enough to become a long-time tradition.
It was a product of a specific era of UM football, and it captured those years pretty well.
Miami was having fun again. The defense was making plays. The crowd was loud.
And every once in a while, a Miami player would come to the sideline and drape a giant gold chain around his neck, impossible to miss.
READ MORE: Is Miami still a college football blue blood? The numbers say yes
Quotes of note
“I’m from Dade County, that’s our style of chain. It’s representing a city, it’s a culture.” – former UM defensive lineman Chad Thomas
“It’s like a knight in shining armor. It’s like a shield, I really earned this and this is my prize for it.” – Quarterman
“It wouldn’t be possible (to wear the Turnover Chain) without your teammates, so, it’s good to have them around you. … The ice is nice. The whole thing with the Chain is to really emphasize us taking over South Florida.” – former UM cornerback Al Blades Jr.
“The chain has a larger meaning. It’s about the celebration of something great happening.” – Richt
“The chain works because it is Miami. That’s why it has to stay in Miami.” – Diaz, who briefly left Miami to become Temple’s head coach in 2018, then returned to UM less than three weeks later after Richt retired as the Hurricanes’ head coach
More Miami coverage
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Mike Garbett is a content specialist working with McClatchy’s Content Innovation Lab.