NFL Star Leonard Fournette Proposes to Jaime Jones with Custom Brilliant Earth Ring

Leonard Fournette, 31, proposed to his longtime love, Jaime Jones, on Sunday, March 1, in front of large white letters spelling out "MARRY ME" at Davis Islands Beach in Tampa, Florida. The former NFL running back had been planning the moment with characteristic precision: "I'd been thinking about it for months — probably around six months for real," Fournette told People exclusively.

"I didn't want to rush something this important. I wanted it to feel special and true to us — especially doing it in Tampa Bay, where we've made a lot of memories."

The staging matched the sentiment. Fournette popped the question at Davis Islands Beach in Tampa, Florida, and used huge white letters to spell out "Marry Me" as a backdrop, working with proposal design company Take My Hand Proposals to set the scene. On bended knee atop rose petals on the sand, Fournette presented Jones with Brilliant Earth's Secret Garden Wrap Lab Diamond Ring, featuring a platinum band and a radiant, super ideal cut 4.04-carat diamond. Marquise diamonds wrap above and beneath the center gem in a leaf-like pattern, adding extra shimmer and uniqueness.

The design deserves a closer look. The Secret Garden Wrap belongs to Brilliant Earth's Signature Collection, and the setting's architecture is anything but conventional. Marquise diamonds appear in a unique pattern that wraps above and beneath a center gem secured by claw prongs — a configuration that frames a large center stone with botanical drama rather than the stark geometry of a standard solitaire. For a super ideal cut radiant at just over four carats, that wrap of marquise accents becomes a kind of crown, directing the eye inward while multiplying the ring's surface brilliance from every angle. The choice of a lab-grown diamond, too, reflects a deliberate value: lab stones are chemically and optically identical to mined diamonds, and Fournette made clear that Brilliant Earth's sourcing philosophy was central to the decision.

"I wanted a ring that could be personalized and mean something, not just look good," Fournette explained. "Brilliant Earth stood out because of how they source their diamonds and how much care they put into everything. That mattered to me because this is forever, and it had to be perfect, so I needed to work with a team that matched that energy."

He continued: "They made it easy. I told them what I felt, what I wanted it to represent, and they helped bring it to life. Being able to personalize it for Jaime meant a lot — I wanted her to look at it and know it was made just for her."

The free agent worked closely with the Brilliant Earth showroom team to design a one-of-a-kind engagement ring for Jones, thoughtfully crafting a piece that reflects both her personal style and their love story.

Fournette announced the engagement on Instagram with a line from Proverbs 18:22. "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the lord," he wrote in his post officially announcing the engagement.

Fournette entered the NFL as the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and built a career defined by a postseason crescendo. He rushed for just 367 yards and six touchdowns during the regular season with Tampa Bay, but he turned up the dial during the playoffs, creating "Playoff Lenny" with his big plays while rushing for 300 yards and three touchdowns — including 89 yards and one touchdown during the Super Bowl win over the Chiefs.

Fournette and Jones share a now 11-year-old daughter, Lyric, and in November 2025, Fournette suggested the pair had welcomed another daughter, posting a photo of a baby girl on Instagram. He is also a father to son Leonard IV, whom he welcomed in March 2017, and son Legend, whose birthday is not publicly known.

The ring he chose for Jones carries the weight of all of it: the years, the family, and a six-month countdown to a moment on the sand in Tampa Bay.