The top NFL Draft prospects are usually players who had incredible careers playing college football. But Qwan’tez Stiggers is looking to do something only a handful of players have ever done: get drafted to the NFL without playing a single down of college football.
Have you ever heard of Stiggers? Most probably haven’t, but that’s what a little bit of research is for.
Who is Qwan’tez Stiggers, and could he be drafted in the NFL?
NFL fans may not know the name Qwan’tez Stiggers just yet, but football fans who pay close attention to the Canadian Football League are quite familiar with the 22-year-old star defensive back on the Toronto Argonauts.
Stiggers is listed as 6 feet and 197 pounds and was initially committed to playing football for Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee, back in 2020. Yet, Stiggers experienced bouts of significant depression after his father passed away earlier that year, and he ended up dropping out and losing his scholarship.
Eventually two years later, Stiggers was convinced by his mom to try out for the Fan Controlled Football league, which had ties to former NFL star Antonio Brown. After landing a spot on the team, former Argonauts offensive coordinator Josh Jenkins suggested Stiggers should give the CFL a shot.
Stiggers listened, and the Argonauts were impressed by his skills, signing him to a contract after their rookie minicamp in January of 2023. Despite many associated with the sport expecting him to have a short trial period with the team before being let go for a player with more recent experience or a stronger resume, Stiggers held onto his roster spot all season long.
In fact, he even became a starter for Toronto and was named a CFL East All-Star for his contributions. Stiggers also won CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie Award or the NFL equivalent of the Rookie of the Year.
Now, Stiggers, an Atlanta, Georgia native, is hoping an NFL team notices his body of work and is preparing for the 2024 NFL Draft. Amazingly, Stiggers has received an invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl on Feb. 1, where several NFL scouts and talent evaluators will be in attendance, watching prospects closely.
“My goal in the East-West Shrine game is to put it all out there and show how my life is not just a good story,” Stiggers said. “There’s a lot behind it. I can really play football, and this isn’t just a fairy tale.”
Qwan’tez Stiggers on pursuing his NFL dream
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After Stiggers left Lane College, he later found work doing various jobs, including driving for DoorDash and washing cars, but those don’t compare to competing on the gridiron.
Eventually, Stiggers worked up enough courage to resume doing individual football drills, and he even tried to return to college football, but after teams stopped calling back or didn’t respond at all, he didn’t lose hope; Stiggers just kept working toward his goals.
Years later, now Stiggers is hoping to become the first CFL player drafted to the NFL with zero previous college football playing experience.
“My goal is to get drafted,” Stiggers said. “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.”
It’s hard not to root for a story like that. Hopefully, we’ll all hear Stiggers have his name called during the three-day 2024 NFL Draft event, bridging from April 25-27.
Even if he’s not drafted, chances are he’ll get plenty of opportunities to latch onto a 90-man offseason roster. From there, Stiggers will have to do what he’s always done: prove anyone who doubts his abilities wrong.