Signet Jewelers-owned chain Zales has announced that it’s become the official jeweler and sponsor of the Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF). The sponsorship signifies Signet’s continued collaboration with the Pro Football Hall of Fame and deepens its dedication to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), according to a press release on the sponsorship.
The retailer will create the organization’s rings for inductees beginning with the class of 2023; executives from Zales will unveil the ring Feb. 25 at the HBCU Legacy Bowl—an all-star game that showcases the top NFL draft-eligible football players from HBCUs and spotlights the incoming BCFHOF class of 2023: Leslie Frazier, Henry “Killer” Lawrence, Albert Lewis, Jim Marsalis, Tyrone McGriff, Elijah Pitts, Johnnie Walton, and Pete Richardson, a former player and football coach at Southern University in Baton Rouge, La., where he won five Southwestern Athletic Conference titles.
The ring (shown above) is 14k gold, featuring a navette-shaped black onyx and 60 tiny diamonds (1.5 cts. t.w.). The BCFHOF logo and the year of induction into the hall of fame is printed on one side, while the other side bears a football, a helmet, and a goal post—along with the inductee’s name and the years they were active. The inside is engraved in a script font with the inductee’s full name and the name of the college where they played. —Ruby Baybei
Top: Players at HBCU Jackson State University
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