While non-fungible tokens (NFTs) bring historical moments to life in the digital space, NFL star Malcolm Jenkins is taking a step further into the future by creating opportunities toward generational wealth with his debut collection.
On Nov. 18, the New Orleans Saints safety will release his NFT collection, “A Minted Legacy.” The three exclusive 1-of-1 NFTs are of pivotal moments in his 13-year NFL career, in which partial proceeds of one of the tokens will help in closing the racial wealth gap by creating more opportunities for Black and brown communities, according to a press release provided exclusively to AfroTech.
The release of “A Minted Legacy” is ahead of the NFL showdown between the Saints and Philadelphia Eagles (Jenkins’ former team) on Nov. 21. The three NFTs represent personal significant moments for him during his time on the field. Jenkins pays homage to Philly with his first NFT titled “DREAM CHASER,” created by Los Angeles-based multimedia artist Soulajit. It showcases his tackle on former Patriots wide receiver Brandin Cooks on the night of the Eagles’ historic Super Bowl win in 2018. Jenkins also tapped the artist for his second NFT titled “FOREVER CHAMPS,” which symbolizes his football rivalry with NFL legend Tom Brady.
“I’ve been working on this since the beginning of 2021, so it was a long, thoughtful process to choose which moments to highlight, that’s for sure,” Jenkins told AfroTech exclusively. “It was difficult [choosing career moments], but also very important to me to feature the Super Bowl win in Philadelphia as that season was filled with so many electric moments, both on and off the field. The NFT collection, “A Minted Legacy,” is partly a tribute to the city of Philadelphia, as I hope to leave a legacy in the communities we serve.”
His third NFT “HEAVY” designed by London-based artist Dines, is of his raised fist during the national anthem at the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears Monday Night Football game in 2016. The act of solidarity now being digitized symbolizes Jenkins’ committed fight for social justice.
“I’ve been looking at the blockchain space for a couple of years now. And it was an intentional decision to create an NFT collection that embodies personal aspects of my life — from football and family to the fans and what the community means to me,” Jenkins shared with AfroTech. “My foundation continues to be active in Philadelphia, Ohio, New Jersey, and of course, Louisiana. A portion of the proceeds for “Heavy” will go to The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation to further our efforts with financial literacy and our digital education academy that is in development.”
Prior to his NFT collection, Jenkins’ philanthropic efforts with The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation have helped youth in underserved communities by providing more than $175,000 in scholarships to college-bound students. In addition, the foundation also linked up with the Newark Public Schools Board of Education and Parkway NW High School for Peace & Social Justice in the City of Brotherly Love to lead a financial freedom initiative to open 1,000 savings accounts for students with a focus on financial literacy.
All three NFTs can be purchased on Crypto.com.
