Practice makes perfect for Diallo founders Tyrod Taylor and Dex Robinson

In July, Tyrod Taylor entered Caesars Superdome in New Orleans dressed to the nines. Flanked by his friend and stylist Dex Robinson, a fan hit the New York Jets quarterback with a quick head nod while pointing to Taylor’s jersey that he was proudly wearing.

But this wasn’t a Jets jersey, nor was it football season.

The fan at Essence Festival of Culture 2025 was wearing a mesh practice jersey made by Diallo, the lifestyle clothing company launched by Taylor and Robinson in 2021. Di’allo, which is Taylor’s middle name, is of West African origin and stands for being bold, courageous, noble and strong.

Connecting through fashion and Virginia roots, Taylor and Robinson birthed a brand that’s quickly caught on with consumers and A-listers alike. By revising traditional items such as jean jackets, workwear overalls, and Oxford shirts through a contemporary lens, they’ve created a clothing company that defies time and trend — one that allows them to convey the story they wish to tell through fabric.

“It speaks to owning your own creativity,” Taylor told Andscape of Diallo, shortly after the launch of their Act III: Echoes of Legacy collection. “The meaning of the name is being bold and not necessarily being on someone else’s time.”

Releasing weeks before the NFL kickoff and ahead of New York Fashion Week, the new collection features Americana homages and vintage-inspired workwear, paying tribute to the blue-collar heroes of yesteryear.

Those same blue-collar ethos appear on their calling-card item: the cropped mesh practice jersey that Taylor, Robinson and an Essence Festival attendee all wear with pride.

“Once you get one, it makes you part of our team,” Robinson told Andscape.

Flipping the football scrimmage shirt – an item that Taylor’s worn at August two-a-day practices since childhood – into a seasonless statement piece has put Diallo on the map.

From Grammy Award-winning rapper Future to WNBA All-Star Arike Ogunbowale, the Diallo practice jersey has become a fan favorite that transcends genre, gender, and temperature.

The success of the practice jersey—and its parallels to his path—are not lost on Taylor.

“Anytime we show up in the jersey space, that’s always a favorite of mine,” Taylor said. “It’s organic to my life.”

True indeed. At age 36, Taylor has been playing football for more than half his life and is entering his 15th NFL season.

At his day job, Taylor has played the role of backup on a Super Bowl roster in Baltimore. As a starter, he was selected to the 2015 Pro Bowl as a member of the Buffalo Bills. After being drafted by the Ravens in 2011, he has worn jerseys for seven NFL franchises.

However, the jersey he wears and sells as a founder at Diallo may be the one for which he’s best known.

Worn by NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, fashion expert Kahlana Barfield Brown and rapper Wale, Diallo’s reimagination of football’s forgotten practice jersey has become visible, bankable and beloved – almost all by mistake.

“Dex will tell you that wasn’t ever the plan,” Taylor shared with a laugh.

As the story goes, Robinson was working out of Diallo’s old office in Carson City, Calif., when his colleague Kerrick Simmons walked in wearing an old football practice jersey he found in his father’s attic.

“I literally side-eyed him,” said Robinson, whose client roster has included the likes of New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges, Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. “He had on his practice jersey from childhood. I was like, ‘Where are you going?’ It was super hot out and he was like, ‘I’m going to work!’”

Shocked by the bizarre choice of apparel on a day that consisted of meetings with clothiers and reference piece pulling at the Rose Bowl thrift market in Pasadena, Calif., Robinson kept it moving as he made the rounds with Simmons.

As the two went to work, the compliments poured in from clients or bystanders who saw Simmons’ practice jersey.

“‘Oh, I love your shirt!’” Robinson recalled anyone and everyone saying to Simmons that day.

In an instance, a lightbulb went off: The mesh material of football’s far-from-famous practice jersey was perfect for a hot summer day.

Furthermore, its distinct cropped cut made it ideal for layering.

“The biggest takeaway from the jersey was figuring out how to be fashionable when it’s super-duper hot,” Robinson said. “A jersey, a tank top and a pair of pants. You’re not ‘dressed up’ but it’s effective.”

Quickly, Robinson began sourcing mesh materials and printing Diallo Mustangs across the chest.

The Mustang mascot, unaffiliated with any NFL franchise but tied to classic car lore, gave the company an additional identity and communal feel.

“It took a life of its own,” Robinson said. “Couples are sharing the jersey.”

In recent years, the practice jersey has become the signature piece for both the backup quarterback and the storied stylist. The training top is as visible as it gets.

Taylor wears it when addressing his alma mater at Virginia Tech or fraternizing with fashion editors at GQ events. Robinson receives requests from celebrity clients and 9-year-old nieces alike, all asking for the jersey.

In recent weeks, influencers and fashion stylists requesting the jerseys/clothing have only increased as Diallo introduced its Echoes of Legacy collection.”

While the famed football jersey is referenced across various colors and cuts, it punctuates a larger story that Diallio is telling about Black labor and its influence on Americana style.

Tried and true, well-worn denim and workwear staples are anti-hype in aesthetic, bearing next to no branding, and made in the image of men who were mechanics or factory workers and kept families afloat.

“This is heritage clothing and something that lives through different legacies,” Taylor said. “We wouldn’t check the greenlight on producing something if we weren’t a fan of it.”

The objective at Diallo is to be evergreen, unattached to fashion’s fast-paced calendar and meant to be found in closets 30 years from now.

“The true intent is for these things to live beyond this one collection,” said Robinson. “I want to evoke an emotion beyond, ‘I just look good.’ Hopefully 20 years from now, somebody younger than me will take our pieces and reimagine them through their POV [point of view].”

As Diallo grows, the ever-expanding reach of their football jersey and well-known founder remain grounded in putting in the work. The approach to practice, providing and perfecting craft parallels that of those not as celebrated who inspired the Act III collection.

Whether working with fabrics, a football or a wrench, the pursuit of sustained success evokes confidence. That’s whether you’re an NFL veteran turned brand founder, or a blue-collar kid looking to make a name in the fashion industry.

“I practice everyday,” Taylor said. “Whether it’s fashion or on the football field.”