Wise beyond his years, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs plans to start as rookie
Listen to Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs and you can tell he is wise beyond his years.
And he is well-prepared to compete for a starting spot as a rookie, despite the coronavirus pandemic that prevented him from having a normal off-season leading up to what will be an abnormal 2020 campaign for the entire team.
Diggs talked to the media for the first time Thursday since starting training camp. He plans to show deference to veteran players on the roster early on.
But he made no secret of his overall goal to be a Day 1 starter — a goal that the Cowboys shared when they selected the former Alabama star and Nick Saban protege in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft to help shore up a position that lost its best player in Byron Jones to the Miami Dolphins in free agency.
“They’ve been here way longer, so I’m just getting adjusted,” said Diggs about initially following the lead of the older players at the position. “And I’m trying to compete every day. That’s my goal: to compete for a starting job and a starting spot.
Only cornerback Chido Awuzie is a return starter from last season and the Cowboys are considering trying him at safety. So the opportunity is wide open for Diggs, who was first-team All-SEC last season and has the size, speed and play-making skills the Cowboys covet at the position.
Diggs refused to use the COVID-19 shutdown as an excuse for a possible slower acclimation to the pro game.
“It has been a weird off-season,’‘ Diggs said. “But football is about adjustments. You have to adjust regardless of the situation, regardless of the circumstances. You have to adjust. You have to adapt to whatever is going on. And this is what is going on. I wouldn’t say that was a frustration. Just make sure you are prepared. It’s you at the end of the day, regardless of what the situation is.”
Diggs’ perspective and mature attitude was aided in part by his good fortune of having a big brother already in the league, Buffalo Bills receiver Stefan Diggs.
So although he didn’t have an off-season program with the Cowboys, he was able to train in Miami with his brother.
“He has been a blessing,” Diggs said. “I call him every day after every meeting. He has been a real help in the off-season to get my body right to compete in the league. It’s a blessing to have him. He can guide me a little bit.”
“I won the majority of the time,” Diggs laughingly added about the off-season battles with his brother. “He don’t want to show me too much. But I try to get as much work [on] releases. So I was happy.”
Diggs said the most helpful advice his brother gave him was to never quit, work hard every day, compete every day and study his playbook. That is the attitude he will take to practice and camp.
“You got to make the most of the reps that you have,” Diggs said. “Going out there and competing and making every rep count. Show as much as you can to the coaches, so you can have that opportunity to play. That’s my main focus: giving 100 percent every day, every rep.”
It should come as no surprise that Diggs never considered opting out of the season because of the pandemic. He never gave it a thought.
“It wasn’t a process at all,’‘ Diggs said. “I had no intention of doing that. I’m here to compete. I’m here to work and work hard. I’m looking forward to the season.”
This story was originally published July 30, 2020 at 4:12 PM.
