Yahoo Sports Senior NFL Writer Jori Epstein highlights the moving story of New York Jets fifth-round draft pick Qwan’tez Stiggers and how his mindset is advancing in the NFL.
Video transcript
Three days before the 2024 NFL Draft, Quantz Diggers was watching the draft not where the Jets would take him with the last pick of the fifth round.
He was standing at attention at the Blue Beacon truck wash, working his last shift to support his family.
Quant S is not your average NFL recruit.
And if you think this sounds cliché, let’s look at the numbers.
99.96% of NFL draftees played college football.
Kante is one of five players, two Americans and only one cornerback, to earn a draft selection without playing college football.
Zero stars recruiting COVID-19.
The loss of his father and battle with depression contributed to arena league football and the Canadian League saved it.
Now he’s in the NFL.
But when I talked to Quant at Jets headquarters, he stopped focusing on how incredible his path to this point has been.
He told me, think two words now, what the Jets have high hopes for, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich expects him to be able to contribute immediately with his skill set and work ethic, cornerbacks coach Tony Oden says, think in it like a lump of clay, but really high quality game that is easy to mold.
We’ve never seen a story like Quantas Figures before in the NFL and we’ll never see a story like his again.
But as you learn about this jet’s prospects, remember what it wants you to know.
Not just the crazy path he took to get here, but also the path he’s planning.
What’s next for Quinte stickers.
