Conwell’s Gift to Pair Has a Nice Ring to It

A week after Hurricane Katrina tore thousands of lives apart, a New Orleans Saint player brought two of those lives together.

Tight end Ernie Conwell was so moved by the story of a couple who had lost everything, he bought them an engagement ring before they were married at a relief shelter in San Antonio.

Conwell, whose team plays its “home” opener Monday at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., bought the ring at a San Antonio Wal-Mart after meeting the groom-to-be in the store and hearing his story. The man’s girlfriend had recently given birth to twins and was shopping in another part of the store.

“The guy wanted to get married,” Conwell said. “Here was a guy who had nothing and wanted to do the right thing. He wanted to go on with his life. He said he had some engagement rings in Louisiana but had lost them all.”

The man was named Ronald Tennessee and looked to be in his late 20s. Conwell introduced himself, and they walked over to the jewelry section. The man pointed to the ring he wanted, and Conwell pulled out his credit card.

“It was a no-brainer for me,” Conwell said. “He had about $150 to his name. He was trying to give me everything he had. I thought, this guy isn’t looking for a handout. He was ready to pay everything he had.”

Conwell turned down the money, of course, bought the ring, and autographed some items for the man.

Then, Conwell made a request.

“I had him autograph the receipt so I could pray for him and his family,” he said.

Conwell, a father of four who married his junior-high sweetheart, Andrea, said he “ended up getting blessed out of that deal” more than the newlyweds.

“It’s one thing to give to the charity organizations,” he said. “But if you can give to somebody right there in front of you it’s amazing. Buying a ring isn’t the same thing as giving somebody food or shelter, but it was immediate need in that man’s heart.”