'Queen of the NFL' Erica Diggs shows the human side of the sports hustle

Erica Diggs has built her name in rooms where precision matters.

Known for designing custom jewelry for NFL players and hip-hop artists, she’s earned the “Queen of the NFL” nickname through consistency and access. But a 2021 visual profile—later discussed in an interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson—shifted the focus from clients to the foundation behind the work.

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The story didn’t start in a showroom. Photographer Mayan Toledano first met Diggs in a Brooklyn deli, where she was with her daughter, Laila. That moment stuck. Years later, it turned into a full creative project.

“I admire Erica for her confidence and her ability to pass strength onto her daughter,” Toledano said.

That dynamic became the center of the feature. Instead of focusing on jewelry, the project documented Diggs during the pandemic, when her workload didn’t slow down—but her responsibilities doubled. She was running a business while also taking on full-time parenting.

Diggs described that stretch as doing everything at once—provider, teacher, and caretaker—while still maintaining her client base. The work didn’t pause, it just shifted.

At the same time, she made a move that changed how she operates in the long term. Diggs completed her formal gemology training, adding technical certification to her resume. The goal wasn’t branding—it was control.

With that knowledge, she was able to break down stone quality, grading, and pricing in real time. It gave her leverage in an industry where information isn’t always shared evenly. Instead of relying on suppliers, she could verify everything herself.

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In her conversation with Robinson, Diggs made it clear that her process has always been hands-on. She doesn’t just deliver finished pieces—she understands every step behind them.