ATLANTA. Bijan Robinson’s relationship with jewelry did not begin on draft night or after signing an NFL contract. It started much earlier, with the one accessory that still feels essential to him: earrings.
Speaking exclusively with Drip With Diggs inside the Atlanta Falcons locker room after Sunday’s game at Mercedes Benz Stadium, Robinson did not hesitate when asked which piece of jewelry he cannot leave home without.
“I’ve been wearing earrings since I was in middle school,” Robinson said. “So I like to wear earrings.”
The Falcons running back said he enjoys both solitaire studs and other earring styles. For him, earrings are also the category where quality matters most. He explained that he prefers real jewelry in his ears because he does not want to risk irritation or damage from lesser materials.
That answer revealed something bigger than a simple style preference. Before the larger chains and the spotlight that came with the NFL, earrings were already part of Robinson’s identity.
The Draft Night Chain
When the conversation turned to his first major jewelry purchase after reaching the professional level, Robinson pointed to the chain he wore for the 2023 NFL Draft.
“I think it was my chain that I had for the draft,” he said. “That was my first real piece that I bought.”
Robinson said the piece came through his jeweler Leo. The chain marked a defining moment in his life, but it was more than a finishing touch for draft night. It represented the transition from a college football star at Texas to the eighth overall pick in the NFL Draft.
For many athletes, jewelry becomes a visible record of achievement. A first major chain can hold the memory of the contract, the celebration and the moment a lifelong goal became real. Robinson’s draft night piece carries that kind of meaning.
Style That Comes From the Locker Room
Robinson was also asked which NFL player, past or present, had the best drip or influenced his own sense of style. He named former Falcons teammate KhaDarel Hodge, who is now with another team, and said Hodge’s drip helped shape his own.
That influence matters. NFL style is often discussed through arrivals, designer labels and expensive jewelry, but players also build their tastes by watching one another. The locker room can function as its own fashion ecosystem, where teammates exchange ideas about watches, chains, clothing and presentation.
Robinson’s answers were brief, but they traced a clear progression: earrings he has worn since middle school, a draft night chain that marked his arrival in the NFL, and style lessons picked up from someone close enough to influence him directly.
The jewelry may have grown with the platform, but the personal connection came first.
Editor’s note: This interview was conducted by Erica Diggs for Drip With Diggs at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
