Stefon Diggs cemented his status in the Vikings history book with the game-winning touchdown grab over the Saints, but as far as his family is concerned, the wide receiver has always had a hint of hero about him.
The former Maryland standout has been a rock for his family, through tragedy and hardships and less-than-desirable draft picks and, now, with postseason glory on the line, the Diggs family is standing with Stefon every step of the way. Here’s everything you need to know about the tight-knit group:
1. His Brother, Trevon, Won a National Championship at Alabama This Season
One of the top prospects out of high school, Trevon Diggs has made a name for himself with the Tide. He saw time both on offense and kick return as a true freshman in 2016, returning seven kickoffs for 166 yards and hauling in 11 receptions for 88 yards and one touchdown.
In 2017, however, Trevon looked to change up his game and competed for a spot on the defensive side of the ball in the preseason.
Blessed 🙏🏾 #RollTide
“We’re pleased with the progress that he’s made,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said during the spring season. “He’s much more natural playing at corner than when we tried to play him at safety. That’s where he played in high school. He’s long, he’s got good toughness and he’s a good tackler. He plays the ball well in the deep part of the field and he’s done a good job of playing man-to-man.
Trevon saw time in six games this season and notched a tackle in the Tide’s Sugar Bowl victory over Clemson.
2. Trevon Diggs Was in the Stands to See Stefon’s Game-Winning Touchdown Grab
The entire state of Minnesota collectively celebrated when Diggs scored the game-winning touchdown against the Saints on January 15, but no one was more excited than the wide receiver’s younger brother Trevon.
It was a historic moment for the team and the fandom and, most importantly, for the Diggs family and Trevon who, in 2013, told The Baltimore Sun that the one player he most wanted to be was “my brother.”
3. Diggs’ Mother, Stephanie, Told Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome He Should be Fired
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Stefon Diggs grew up in Maryland. He played high school football in Maryland. He played college football in Maryland. He is not playing professional football in Maryland.
And his mother had something to say about that.
According to Sports Illustrated, Stephanie Diggs ran into Ravens general manager at the college football national championship in 2017 and promptly told him, “You didn’t pick my son. They should fire your ass!”
The Ravens had a chance to draft Diggs, but opted, instead, to select Breshard Perriman in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Of course, Newsome wasn’t the only GM who passed on Diggs. He was the 20th wide receiver selected in the class, falling to the Vikings in the fifth round.
4. His Father, Aron, Died of Congestive Heart Failure in 2008
HAPPY BIRTHDAY POPS 😈!!
Rest In Peace! 🙏🙌👼..
The future Vikings star, who grew up in Gaithersburg, Maryland, is no stranger to tragedy. Diggs was just six years into his football career, determined to be the best player to ever suit up, when his father passed away from congestive heart failure at 39. Diggs was only 14 years old, but he never lost the love of football that his father first instilled.
“(My father) kind of started me in football. Kind of guiding you and teaching you, and then you lose him,” Diggs said in 2015. “It was kind of hard for me in the beginning because I was so young and didn’t know who to turn to and that kind of thing.
It was a moment that changed Diggs’ entire life. He wrote about the immediate aftermath in The Players Tribune:
My dad is the reason [my brothers and I are] so competitive. He was a basketball player, but football was his first love, and he’s the one who signed us up to play. He was our first coach. His health started declining, though, and it was hard to watch. He was always on that sideline coaching, no matter what.
Nearly every choice he made from there on out was considered with just one thought – if it would make his father proud. Diggs attended Good Counsel High School, in large part, because that’s where his father wanted him to play football. “[My father] made me the man I am,” Diggs told The Washington Post in 2014.
Diggs has, certainly, done his father’s memory proud, but he’s also done his best not to linger in the past. He’s determined to play for himself, as much as anything and while he remembers his father before kickoff, he’s all game when it comes to playing. “I let that go a while ago,” Diggs said in 2014, “because it hurt to know that the person that started you in the game won’t see you at your best.”
5. Diggs Credits His Relationship With Family for His Determination
After his father passed away, the Diggs family relied on each other to pick up the pieces. Stefon and his younger brother’s Trevon and Derez bonded, naturally, through football. Trevon even wore his brother’s No. 1 at Rockville’s Wootton High School. Diggs worked regularly with his younger brother, fine-tuning gridiron skills that their father helped cultivate.
When it came time to pick a college program, the choice was easy. Diggs stayed close to home and played at Maryland so he could be around his brothers.
Diggs described the relationship in a Player’s Tribune article. “We share everything,” he wrote. “I help him break down his film, telling him what I’m seeing and how he can sharpen his game. It’s our thing, and I love that I can be there for him in that way. The Diggs brothers always asking each other, “What’s next?” It’s our motto. We know what we want out of life. You can always do better. Success today is good. But we’re working on tomorrow.”
The Diggs trio can, still, be found spotted playing Madden in the offseason, trash talking about on-field and off-field moments, but the plan now is simple – leading by example for his brothers.
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Stefon Diggs’ Family: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know