CFL Sensation Qwan'tez Stiggers Stands Out In First Career NFL Start With Jets
One of pro football's most inspiring stories continues as New York Jets rookie cornerback Qwan'tez Stiggers made his first NFL start Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The 2023 CFL Rookie of the Year with the Toronto Argonauts leveraged that success into the NFL Draft, where the Jets selected him in the fifth round this past April.
On Sunday, Stiggers, who abandoned playing collegiately due to the tragic loss of his father, was a starter on an NFL field just two years after resurrecting his career playing indoor football in FCF.
Against Jacksonville, the former CFL All-Star showed precisely why he has been able to defy the odds and conventional wisdom.
In the Jets 32-25 victory, with Stiggers starting opposite All-Pro Sauce Gardner, the rookie was guaranteed to be tested. The Georgia native stood up strong, allowing only one catch for 29 yards on three targets and registering four tackles. Pro Football Focus graded Stiggers as one of the Jets' top 10 players in Week 15, grading him with a 77.4 run defense, and 66.3 pass defense grade.
Qwan’Tez Stiggers in his first NFL start:
— Justin Fried (@JustinTFried) December 16, 2024
• 3 targets
• 1 catch allowed
• 29 yards allowed
• 2 run stops
• 4 tackles (0 missed)
• 66.3 PFF grade
• 77.4 tackling grade
Impressive starting debut for the #Jets rookie. Wouldn’t mind if he competes for a starting job in 2025.
With star cornerback D.J. Reed dealing with injuries and an unrestricted free agent next off-season, it's possible that Stiggers could show enough in the final three weeks of the NFL regular season to warrant a permanent starting role next season.
No matter what occurs from this point on, Stiggers has already won getting to this point.
What an amazing story. Out of the darkness and into the light, just getting to the point Stiggers has where he is starting on an NFL field, is an inspirational victory for dreamers.
Although it's a one-in-a-million dream scenario, Stiggers making it to the NFL is also a testament to the value of alternative pro football leagues.
If not for the existence of a little-known indoor football league called Fan Controlled Football, in which Stiggers shined enough to get a shot in Canada, Sunday would likely never have happened.
To all the young kids out there, no dream is to small or to big. Always reach for the Stars!!!!!!! A year ago i was washing trucks at blue beacon, Yesterday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, i started my First NFL game. Always dream and never let the haters dictate your future🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/bKgrgiAsh7
— Qwantez Stiggers (@qwanb5stiggers) December 16, 2024
Reminder of who Qwan’tez Stiggers is — rookie CB who made the @nyjets final 53 man roster! Earlier this month on @gmfb
— Jamie Erdahl (@JamieErdahl) August 28, 2024
pic.twitter.com/XeeszcyDCr
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