CFL Most Outstanding Rookie Qwan'tez Stiggers Sets NFL Pro Day After Combine Snub
CFL 2023 Most Outstanding Rookie Qwan'tez Stiggers has set his NFL pro day for March 15 at the place where his unique and unconventional football career first began: B.E.S.T. Academy in Atlanta.
Stiggers, who was riding momentum after earning rave reviews at the East-West Shrine Bowl in February, was unfortunately snubbed by the NFL Combine, which took place this past weekend.
Nevertheless, Stiggers has a top 30 pre-draft visit with the Detroit Lions slated for Thursday and Friday. Additionally, his individual pro-day and engagement with NFL teams during the pre-draft process should further help his chances of making the improbable probable when the NFL Draft takes place in late April.
CFL’s Qwan’tez Stiggers with a tackle on the opening kickoff and a PBU on the second play of the game.
— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) February 2, 2024
Proving to be more than a fairy tale already at the @ShrineBowl https://t.co/xX9kk7SVs8
Stiggers is trying to defy the odds by becoming only the fourth player in the common era to be drafted into the NFL with no collegiate playing experience.
“My goal is to get drafted. There’s nothing like hearing your name on draft day. Just to hear someone say ‘such and such has drafted Qwan’tez Stiggers’ will mean so much. I can make history.”
-Qwan'tez Stiggers to
Andscape.com
's Branson Wright
No matter what happens, Stiggers' story is an inspirational one.
The death of his father, Rayves Harrison, four years ago left Stiggers devastated to the extent that he gave up on playing football. It was his mother, Kwanna, and fiancée, Cheyenne McClain, who helped him bounce back from depression to pursue his dream once again.
The pathway back began when Stiggers' mother discovered the existence of a unique indoor football league called Fan Controlled Football. Two years after Stiggers pressed pause on his playing career before it could get started — he was slated to play collegiately at Lane College — Kwanna registered her son for a tryout.
Stiggers made the FCF after trying out and became one of the league's standout players, leading the pack with five interceptions in 12 games and finishing as runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year.
The starring turn by Stiggers in Fan Controlled Football did not go unnoticed, especially by FCF coach and former Toronto Argonauts assistant John Jenkins, who recommended the 20-year-old cornerback to his former team.
An afterthought on paper in Argos camp, the 6-foot, 197-pound cornerback was such a revelation that he made Toronto's roster and earned a starting spot immediately.
Stiggers started in 16 games for Toronto, registering 53 tackles and five interceptions. The stellar effort netted him the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie award for the 2023 season. Stiggers became the first defensive back to be bestowed that honor in 25 years.
Now, he has a chance to become the first-ever CFL player who didn't attend college to be drafted by an NFL team.
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Mike Mitchell is a pro football writer/insider with decades of experience covering and following multiple leagues. He covers the New York Jets for TheJetPress.com at FanSided. He has also written for XFL Board and at Hub Publishing covering the CFL, XFL and USFL.