Quandre Diggs (born January 22, 1993) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
free safety
Safety is a position in gridiron football on the defense. The safeties are defensive backs who line up ten to fifteen yards from the line of scrimmage. There are two variations of the position: the free safety and the strong safety. Their dut ...
for the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, and was drafted by the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
in the sixth round of the
2015 NFL Draft
The 2015 NFL Draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previous ...
. He played his first two years in the NFL as a
cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
before being moved to
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are ...
. In 2019, Diggs was traded to the
Seahawks.
High school career
Diggs attended
Angleton High School
Angleton High School is a public high school located just outside the city of Angleton, Texas, United States in unincorporated Brazoria County. It is classified as a 5A school by the University Interscholastic League (UIL). It is a part of the ...
, where he played on the
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team. As a member of the Angleton Wildcats, he primarily played cornerback and safety, but occasionally played quarterback on offense. Considered a four-star recruit by
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN. It is owned by ESPN Internet Ventures, a division of ESPN Inc.
History
Since launching in April 1995 as ESPNET.SportsZone.com (ESPNET SportsZone), the website has developed numerous sections including ...
, Diggs was listed as the top-ranked cornerback in the nation in the Class of 2011.
College career
Diggs played college football at
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
from 2011 to 2014 under head coaches
Mack Brown
William Mack Brown (born August 27, 1951) is an American college football coach. He is currently in his second stint as the head football coach for the University of North Carolina, where he first coached from 1988 until departing in 1997, whe ...
(2011–2013) and
Charlie Strong (2014). He played in 52 career games, of which he started 49. He was named the
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...
Defensive Freshman of the Year in
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
. He was named to the Second-team All-Big 12 in
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
and was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention in
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
. He ended his collegiate career tied for ninth on the University of Texas all-time interceptions list with 11 and tied for ninth with 37 career pass breakups.
Professional career
On December 1, 2014, it was announced that Diggs would be playing in the
Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game played annually in late January or early February in Mobile, Alabama, which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those players who have completed their college eligibility. Pr ...
after accepting his invitation. On January 24, 2015, Diggs played in the
2015 Senior Bowl and recorded four solo tackles and an interception as part of
Ken Whisenhunt's North team that defeated the South 34–13. He attended the
NFL Scouting Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Footb ...
and completed all of the combine drills. He finished eighth among all participating cornerbacks in the bench press, 12th in the short shuttle, and finished 19th among cornerbacks in the 40-yard dash. On March 24, 2015, Diggs attended Texas's pro day, but opted to stand on the majority of his combine numbers and only performed positional drills and broad jump. He added six inches to his broad jump from the combine (9'11"). At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Diggs was projected to be a seventh round pick by the majority of NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked the 10th best cornerback in the draft by
Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report (often abbreviated as B/R) is a website that focuses on sport and sports culture. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, with offices in New York City and London.
Bleacher Report was acquired by Turner Broadcasting System in Aug ...
, was ranked the 21st best cornerback by WalterFootball.com, and was ranked the 30th best cornerback prospect in the draft by DraftScout.com.
The
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
selected Diggs in the sixth round (200th overall) of the
2015 NFL Draft
The 2015 NFL Draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previous ...
. He was the 26th cornerback drafted in 2015.
Detroit Lions
2015
On May 7, 2015, the Detroit Lions signed Diggs to a four-year,
$2.39 million contract that includes a
signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
of $115,352.
Throughout training camp, Diggs competed for the role as the first-team nickelback against
Bill Bentley,
Nevin Lawson
Nevin Andre Lawson (born April 23, 1991) is a Jamaican-born American football cornerback who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Utah State Aggies football ...
, and
Mohammed Seisay
Mohammed Seisay (born May 22, 1990) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Nebraska Cornhuskers football, Nebraska. Seisay signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2014, and played for the Seat ...
. Head coach
Jim Caldwell named Diggs the backup nickelback, behind Nevin Lawson, to begin the regular season.
He made his professional regular season debut in the
Detroit Lions' season-opener at the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
and recorded two solo tackles in their 33–28 loss. Diggs made his first career tackle on
Keenan Allen
Keenan Alexander Allen (born April 27, 1992) is an American football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at California before leaving after his junior year. He was draft ...
, stopping a five-yard reception in the fourth quarter. On October 23, 2015, Diggs earned his first career start and recorded four combined tackles in their 28–19 loss to the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
in Week 7. The following week, he was elevated to first-team nickelback replacing Nevin Lawson who was moved to outside cornerback after
Rashean Mathis
Rashean Jamil Mathis (; born August 27, 1980) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Bethune–Cookman University, and was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second r ...
sustained a
concussion
A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration, ...
the previous week. On November 22, 2015, Diggs collected a season-high six combined tackles and a pass deflection in the Lions' 18–13 win against the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
in Week 11. He finished his rookie season with 38 combined tackles (31 solo) and six pass deflections in 16 games and four starts.
He finished the season with the 33rd highest overall grade from Pro Football Focus.
2016
Diggs entered training camp slated as the No. 1 nickelback on the depth chart, but saw minor competition from
Crezdon Butler
Crezdon Butler (born May 26, 1987) is a gridiron football defensive back who is a free agent. He most recently played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Clemson University. He was selec ...
. Defensive coordinator
Teryl Austin
Teryl Austin (born March 3, 1965) is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions from 2014 to 2 ...
named Diggs the first-team nickelback and third cornerback on the depth chart to start the season, behind
Darius Slay
Darius Demetrius Slay Jr. (born January 1, 1991) is an American football cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Mississippi State and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the s ...
and Nevin Lawson.
In Week 6, he collected five solo tackles during a 31–28 victory against the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
. It was his third consecutive game with five solo tackles. On November 24, 2016, Diggs recorded a season-high six solo tackles in the Lions' 16–13 victory against the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
in Week 12. On December 6, 2016, the Detroit Lions placed Diggs on
injured reserve
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
after he suffered a pectoral injury during a Week 13 victory at the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
. Diggs finished the season with 44 combined tackles (40 solo) and a pass deflections in 12 games and four starts.
He earned an overall grade of 49.5 from Pro Football Focus in 2016 and ranked 95th among the 111 qualifying cornerbacks.
2017
During training camp, Diggs competed to be the starting nickelback against
D. J. Hayden and
Jamal Agnew
Jamal Agnew (born April 3, 1995) is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at San Diego. On September 26, 2021, he tied the NFL rec ...
. Head coach Jim Caldwell named Diggs the first-team nickelback on and the fifth cornerback on the Lions' depth chart, behind Darius Slay, Nevin Lawson,
Teez Tabor
Jalen "Teez" Tabor (born December 31, 1995) is an American football safety who is a free agent. He played college football at Florida.
Early years
Tabor attended Friendship Collegiate Academy in Washington, D.C. Tabor was rated by Rivals.com ...
, and D.J. Hayden, to start the season.
He started in the
Detroit Lions' season-opener against the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
and made a season-high three pass deflections and three solo tackles in their 35–23 victory.
On December 3, 2017, Diggs started his first game as a strong safety and collected five solo tackles and a pass deflection during a 44–20 loss at the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
in a Week 13.
Diggs was named the starter after
Tavon Wilson
Tavon Wilson (born March 19, 1990) is an American football safety who is a free agent. He played college football at the University of Illinois, and was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. With the Pa ...
injured his shoulder the previous week and was required to undergo surgery. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin's decision to start Diggs at strong safety was unexpected as many people assumed backup strong safety
Miles Killebrew
Miles Killebrew (born May 10, 1993) is an American football safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Southern Utah. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round of the ...
would be taking over the role. In Week 14, he collected seven combined tackles, deflected a pass, and made his first career interception off a pass by quarterback
Jameis Winston
Jameis Lanaed Winston ( ; born January 6, 1994) is an American football quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State, where he became the youngest player to win the He ...
during a 24–21 victory at the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
.
The following week, Diggs made his third consecutive start at safety and recorded three solo tackles, two pass deflections, an interception, and a sack in the Lions' 20–10 win against the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
in Week 15.
He made his first career sack on quarterback
Mitchell Trubisky
Mitchell David Trubisky (born August 20, 1994) is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina and was drafted second overall by the Chicago ...
during the second quarter. On December 24, 2017, Diggs recorded four combined tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass by
Andy Dalton
Andrew Gregory Dalton (born October 29, 1987) is an American football quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "Red Rifle", Dalton previously played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, and ...
in a 26–17 loss at the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
in Week 16.
His interception extended his streak to three consecutive games with a pick. He finished the season with a career-high 55 combined tackles (45 solo), nine pass deflections, three interceptions, and a sack in 16 games and 11 starts.
Pro Football Focus
Pro Football Focus (also written as ProFootballFocus, and often referred to by its initials, PFF) is a sports analytics company that focuses on thorough analysis of the National Football League (NFL) and NCAA Division-I football in the United Sta ...
gave Diggs an overall grade of 73.5, ranking him 73rd among all qualifying cornerbacks in 2017.
2018
On September 3, 2018, Diggs signed a three-year, $20.4 million contract extension with the Lions.
On September 10, in the season opener on ''Monday Night Football'', Diggs
intercepted Sam Darnold's first career pass attempt and returned it 37 yards for a
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...
in a game against the
Jets.
Seattle Seahawks
2019
On October 22, 2019, Diggs was traded along with a 7th round pick to the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
for a fifth round pick in the
2020 NFL Draft
The 2020 NFL Draft was the 85th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2020 NFL season. The first round was held on April 23, followed by the second and third rounds on April 24. The d ...
.
Diggs made his debut with the Seahawks in week 10 against the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
on Monday Night Football. In the game, Diggs recorded an interception off
Jimmy Garoppolo
James Richard Garoppolo (born November 2, 1991), nicknamed Jimmy G, is an American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Eastern Illinois, where he set the school r ...
which he returned for 44 yards in the 27–24 overtime win.
In week 12 against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
, Diggs forced a fumble on tight end
Dallas Goedert
Dallas Clayton Goedert ( ; born January 3, 1995) is an American football tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at South Dakota State, and was drafted by the Eagles in the second r ...
which he recovered in the 17–9 win. In week 14 against the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
, he intercepted 2 passes thrown by
Jared Goff
Jared Thomas Goff (born October 14, 1994) is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at California, where he set the Pac-12 Conference season records for passi ...
and returned one for a 55 yard touchdown in the 12–28 loss.
Diggs was named to the
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
on January 17, 2020 as an alternate.
2020
![Quandre Diggs (50746801588) (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Quandre_Diggs_%2850746801588%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
In Week 1 against the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
, Diggs intercepted a pass thrown by quarterback
Matt Ryan late in the fourth quarter to seal a 38–25 Seahawks' win.
In Week 2 against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
on ''Sunday Night Football'', Diggs was ejected from the game after initiating a helmet to helmet hit with Patriots' wide receiver
N'Keal Harry
N'Keal Harry (, '; born December 17, 1997) is an American football wide receiver for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona State, where he twice received first-team All- Pac-12 honors, a ...
.
In Week 7 against the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
on ''Sunday Night Football'', Diggs recorded an interception off a pass thrown by
Kyler Murray
Kyler Cole Murray (born August 7, 1997) is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). Following a stint at Texas A&M, Murray played college football at Oklahoma, where he won the Heisman Trop ...
during the 37–34 overtime loss.
In Week 12 against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
on ''Monday Night Football'', Diggs intercepted a pass thrown by
Carson Wentz
Carson James Wentz (born December 30, 1992) is an American football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). Wentz played college football at North Dakota State, where he won two consecutive NCAA FCS nat ...
in the end zone during the 23–17 win.
Diggs was named to the
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
on December 21, 2020 as the NFC starter at free safety. Diggs and teammate
Jamal Adams became the first safety tandem to make the Pro Bowl together since former Seahawks safeties
Earl Thomas and
Kam Chancellor
Kameron Darnel Chancellor (born April 3, 1988), nicknamed "Bam Bam", is an American former football strong safety who played for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech prior t ...
in
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
.
In Week 16 against the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
, Diggs recorded his fifth interception of the season off a pass thrown by
Jared Goff
Jared Thomas Goff (born October 14, 1994) is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at California, where he set the Pac-12 Conference season records for passi ...
during the 20–9 win.
2021
Earlier in the NFL preseason, On May 17, 2021, Diggs has announced that he would change his number 37 to number 6, per the new NFL jersey rule. In Week 18 of the
2021 regular season, Diggs suffered a dislocated ankle and a broken right fibula in the 38-30 win against the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
.
On March 14, 2022, Diggs signed a three-year, $40 million extension with the Seahawks.
NFL career statistics
Personal life
Diggs is the younger half-brother of former
Longhorns and
NFL defensive back
Quentin Jammer
Quentin Tremaine Jammer (born June 19, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Texas, and earned All-American honors ...
.
References
External links
Seattle Seahawks bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Diggs, Quandre
1993 births
Living people
American football cornerbacks
American football safeties
Detroit Lions players
People from Angleton, Texas
Players of American football from Texas
Seattle Seahawks players
Sportspeople from the Houston metropolitan area
Texas Longhorns football players
National Conference Pro Bowl players