FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs could not assist himself. Feelings had been pouring out earlier than the season opener towards the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 8.
Diggs was wrapped in a hug with assistant head coach Al Harris, who’s extra mentor than coach. His helmet and face masks lined his eyes, however his head was buried on Harris’ shoulder as they swayed forwards and backwards.
Three-hundred-fifty-three days earlier, Diggs had limped off the follow discipline, understanding his left knee was badly injured. The humid September air was sucked out of the Cowboys’ follow as a result of everyone knew what was coming a number of hours after he had an MRI.
He was recognized with a torn left ACL that will finish his season.
Now, on an ideal September day at Cleveland’s Huntington Financial institution Area, only a brief throw from Lake Erie, it hits Diggs, who shouldn’t be identified to indicate his emotions.
“I did not really feel it till I used to be really on the market,” Diggs mentioned. “It was, ‘Wow, I am really again.’ Yeah, it was emotional for me.”
After a lot time away — a lonely journey to show he was nonetheless the most effective cornerbacks within the NFL and worthy of the Professional Bowl standing he held earlier than the damage — Diggs confirmed he was not solely again, it was as if he had by no means left.
With 9:06 left within the fourth quarter and the Cowboys main by 23 factors, Diggs intercepted a Deshaun Watson go that went by means of Elijah Moore‘s fingers.
Take it away, Tre 🚫@TrevonDiggs | @AlabamaFTBL
Up subsequent ➡️ #NOvsDAL 9/15 on FOX pic.twitter.com/1XOosxUmbC
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) September 9, 2024
It was Diggs’ nineteenth interception in 48 profession video games. He’s certainly one of 13 gamers with no less than that many picks of their first 48 video games. Since 2021, his 16 interceptions are essentially the most within the NFL — regardless of sitting out 15 video games final season due to the damage.
Pretty much as good because it felt to get the ball again in his fingers, Diggs later skilled the alternative emotion.
In final week’s 28-25 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Cowboys wanted a cease to drag off an unbelievable 22-point comeback, however he was unable to forestall a 9-yard completion to Zay Flowers on third-and-6.
“That was s—ty on my half,” Diggs mentioned. “I acquired to make that play regardless. That is on me.”
However being on the sphere and on the point of play on the New York Giants on Thursday (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video) is best than the place he was a 12 months in the past, awaiting surgical procedure.
THE JOURNEY BACK from an damage could be lonely. Gamers go to what quite a few Diggs’ teammates discuss with as “darkish locations.” Not two months earlier than he was damage, he signed a five-year extension price $97 million that made him one of many highest-paid cornerbacks within the NFL.
The video games went on and Diggs grew to become one thing of a forgotten man.
Earlier than this season started, ESPN requested coaches, entrance workplace executives and scouts for his or her high 10 cornerbacks within the NFL. Diggs was not included, in all probability due to his damage, listed solely as an honorable point out. In ESPN’s survey in 2023, he was eighth. In 2022, a 12 months after he had 11 interceptions, he was tenth.
When he was requested in coaching camp if he drew motivation from that, Diggs playfully requested what the listing mentioned, however he already knew.
“I really feel like I am in a league alone,” Diggs mentioned when he was taken off the bodily unable to carry out listing in late July. “There’s no one can do what I do.”
He talked about DaRon Bland, who led the NFL with 9 interceptions final season and set a league document with 5 pick-sixes. Bland has not performed this season due to a stress fracture in his left foot and was additionally not among the many high 10 corners, although he did obtain some votes.
“We do not care about no listing,” Diggs mentioned. “Our work will present on the sphere. [If] you may pull one other DB on that listing that did something that we did, present me.”
That is as animated as Diggs will get publicly. Even with Diggs’ famous person standing on the Cowboys, Micah Parsons calls him shy. They’re one thing of an odd couple of their approaches. Parsons will discuss something and every little thing to anybody. Diggs is extra content material to remain within the background.
As Diggs went by means of the rehab course of, Parsons usually went to his home. He tried to maintain Diggs’ spirits up through the longest absence he has had from the sport. They competed in video video games and Join 4. At coaching camp, they performed ping pong.
Plenty of instances they simply talked soccer.
That is the place Parsons discovered Diggs’ spirit.
“Movie room, on his personal. Places within the further. He do not search for credit score from others. He does not must be right here to indicate it,” Parsons mentioned. “I could be calling Tre at 7:30, saying, ‘Why aren’t you on the recreation?’ He is like, ‘Bro, I am at Sanders [Fit Rehab and Therapy]. I am getting further remedy on my knee.’ I am like, ‘Oh snap, hit me if you get residence.’
“So he is leaving right here, going to get further work on his knee to ensure he is ready. So it is the issues that nobody else has to see. That is sort of like who he’s and who he is grow to be.”
Diggs places in a number of work to know how opposing quarterbacks and receivers are going to assault him.
“He’s positively a savant of this recreation,” fellow cornerback Jourdan Lewis mentioned. “He understands this recreation, and I actually assume he is a genius at it, actually. When he is in true type, I really feel like he is the most effective defensive gamers within the recreation. It is wonderful to see.”
HARRIS PLAYED 14 years within the NFL for 4 groups, together with a seven-year run with the Inexperienced Bay Packers, with whom he received a Tremendous Bowl. He has been an NFL assistant coach in all however one season since 2013 and was named the Cowboys’ assistant head coach within the offseason.
When he talks about Diggs, Harris mentions his Corridor of Fame teammate Charles Woodson and the flexibility to reflect a receiver’s route.
“Tre has an uncanny potential to catch the flash of the ball. So, so far as my job, it is to get him to simply get the right reads, simply let him go from there,” Harris mentioned. “And I believe the genius side of it’s from there. … He runs routes. And it has been a very long time since you have seen a defensive participant run routes as a defensive participant.”
To get there, Diggs research a quarterback’s three-, five- and seven-step drops to know what routes to anticipate. He research the splits the receivers soak up sure down and distances and is aware of he can remove some routes. He understands route mixtures. From a easy stance, he can know what a receiver needs to do.
“I have been within the league for, what, 5 years now?” he mentioned. “So I am sort of accustomed to the sport and know the sport velocity.”
The interceptions aren’t an accident.
“Lots of people assume he is simply going on the market guessing, leaping at stuff, however it’s a way to the insanity,” Lewis mentioned. “I respect it. I can see it from a mile away — he prepares like no different.”
Diggs peppers Dak Prescott with questions through the week and jaws on the quarterback on the follow discipline. Prescott mentioned Diggs’ background as a receiver (two-time All-Washington D.C. Metro choice, performed WR early on at Alabama) helps him at cornerback.
“He understands stems, breaking factors, these issues,” Prescott mentioned. “After which he trusts himself. I believe on the finish of the day, if you play that place and you’ve got the expertise that he has, it’s important to belief your self.”
After a torn ACL and months of rehab, that belief must be rebuilt. Can he plant and take off the way in which he did earlier than? Will the knee maintain up? Can he change route instantly or is there an additional transfer to get into the proper place?
Via three video games, it is there. Simply because it was earlier than the damage.
“Simply all of the work I put in offers me confidence,” Diggs mentioned. “I really feel comfy.
“And I really feel higher than what I used to be earlier than.”
