Stefon Diggs says farewell to Vikings fans, excited to join Bills
In a piece for The Players Tribune, former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs wrote a piece to express his gratefulness for his time in Minnesota and his excitement to join the Buffalo Bills after being traded last month.
Diggs noted that his first thought of his new team came from when they went into U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 3 of the 2018 season and laid a 27-6 beating on the Vikings. However, his first thought of his new quarterback, Josh Allen, came on the play he hurdled over Anthony Barr.
"Josh dropped back, then took off running up the middle," Diggs recalled. "About 10 yards down the field, our defense closed in on him. And just when it looked like he was dead in the water, he leaped over one of our linebackers — I mean hurdled the guy. He flew like five yards through the air, and he got the first down. You just don’t see a lot of quarterbacks do stuff like that."
But while Diggs expressed his excitement, he also expressed his disappointment having to leave Minnesota. In the days leading up to the trade, he received several texts from his old teammates, including his former quarterback Kirk Cousins, who was one of the first people to text him.
"He was super appreciative of the time we spent together over the last couple of years, and he was just as encouraging, wishing me the best of luck in Buffalo," Diggs said.
"This is a man who has invited me into his home. Introduced me to his family. Put in the extra hours with us. He’s a guy who, through all the ups and downs over the last couple of years, I’ve developed a tremendous amount of appreciation and respect for. I’m definitely going to miss playing with and learning from him."
Diggs also looked back fondly at memories he made in Minnesota including his annual turkey drive during Thanksgiving which provided turkeys for families in need around Minneapolis. But his biggest memory will be on the receiving end of the "Minneapolis Miracle" in the 2017 NFC Divisional Playoff Game against the New Orleans Saints.
"People in Minnesota will always remember me for the Minneapolis Miracle. And I’m proud of that. I mean, to be at the center of one of the most iconic plays for a franchise with a history as rich as the Vikings’? I wear that as a badge of honor. And no matter what, Minnesota, we’ll always have that.
"My only regret is that we didn’t finish the job. The goal was to win a Super Bowl, and we didn’t do that."
