FRISCO, Texas – When Trevon Diggs took the field for the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 8 to face the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Stadium, he had already completed rehabilitation from a torn ACL several weeks ahead of schedule, as he had originally begun training camp on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list.
His first game back culminated in an interception against Deshaun Watson that set off a flood of emotions as he headed straight for assistant head coach and defensive backs coach Al Harris for a warm hug – the two have developed a deep friendship that goes beyond the traditional player-coach dynamic.
“I didn’t feel it until I was actually out there, like, ‘Wow, I’m actually back,'” said the record-setting All-Pro cornerback. “So yeah, it was emotional for me.”
It’s the result of more work than many can imagine, as fellow All-Pro and best friend Micah Parsons shows.
“Oh man, I told you he’s got more to him than you think,” Parsons said. “That’s just the way he is, man. The ones that haven’t gotten injured, and God willing and thank God, I’ve never had a season-ending injury in my career, but that road is tough. When you can’t run and you can’t really move on your own, you constantly need somebody to help you out and hold you through. What he went through the whole year after he started, and then he got injured in practice.
“I know it was very emotional and he came back four weeks earlier than people thought. The guy is a true warrior. I think he deserved to let all his emotions out and I’m glad it was worth it. He played a great game too.”
And he did it by keeping the Browns’ wide receivers, including Jourdan Lewis and rookie cornerback Caelen Carson, in check and capping the afternoon with the aforementioned interception, which required him to throw the ball to the tips of the grass.
In the end, he allowed only 23 yards on six pass catches, ten targeted passes, and not a single touchdown.
“It felt good,” Diggs said. “Emotions were high. I missed it, just going out there with my teammates and stuff. It was just a good feeling to be back out there and able to compete. … Yeah, I feel good. Game 2, I’m going to be 100 percent better. It’s about getting better every day, every game and just continuing to grow.”
One thing is certain: Cowboys fans will likely rock AT&T Stadium when Diggs is introduced at the home opener against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 15. His appearance next Sunday will be his first in Arlington since Sept. 17, 2023 against the New York Jets.
In case you missed the calculation, it will be almost exactly one year to the day.
In addition, he has a chance to continue his already historic career in Week 2, because if he makes an interception against the Saints, he will become the fourth player since 1980 to record 20 interceptions in his first 50 games (he would have done that in his first 49 games) – joining the ranks of Ed Reed, Marcus Peters and Richard Sherman.
“It’s going to be a great moment,” Diggs said. “But it’s still football. At the end of the day, I’m looking forward to being back in Dallas and putting on a show for the fans.”
Given Derek Carr’s skills and his collection of weapons, he will have to.
The more interceptions, the better.
