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Vikings Hosting CFL Rookie of the Year Qwan'tez Stiggers on Pre-Draft Visit
Stiggers is a cornerback prospect with a truly unique backstory.
The Vikings are hosting one of this year's most unique draft prospects on a visit, according to NFL insider Aaron Wilson. Former Toronto Argonauts cornerback Qwan'tez Stiggers, the reigning rookie of the year in the Canadian Football League, is a potential draft pick who has an incredible backstory. He's already visited with six different NFL teams, and now the cornerback-needy Vikings are joining that list.
Stiggers, 22, has taken a path to get to this point that's different from every other prospect in this draft. One of 13 children, he developed into a standout high school player in Atlanta and got a scholarship to D-II Lane College in Tennessee. But that year, his father was involved in a car accident that left him in a coma and eventually took his life early in the fall of Stiggers' freshman year. The incident plunged Stiggers into depression. He quit school and headed home to be with his family, working for DoorDash and at a local truck wash. Eventually, his mother and girlfriend helped him climb out of his depression and look for opportunities to revive his football career (This profile from The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner is very much worth a read).
In 2022, Stiggers joined Fan Controlled Football, an indoor semi-pro 7-on-7 league in Atlanta. He quickly established himself as one of the league's best players. Stiggers turned that into an opportunity to try out for the CFL's Argonauts last year. Not only did he make the team, but he wound up playing 16 games and recording five interceptions, earning the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie award. Now, despite never playing a down of college football, he's a legitimate draft prospect. Stiggers wasn't invited to the combine, but he impressed at the East-West Shrine Bowl and has a real chance to hear his name called on Day 3 in a few weeks.
A 5'11", 200-pound corner, Stiggers is a big-time athlete with fluidity and ball skills. He's still developing, but he has the tools to become an NFL cornerback. It would be quite the story if he does end up getting draft this year — and the Vikings make sense as a potential fit.
Related: Tracking Vikings' Top 30 Visits With NFL Draft Prospects
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