With no formal offseason program to speak of, NFL players were left mostly to their own devices during the initial shelter-at-home portion of the coronavirus saga. Workouts were largely solo efforts, often done in sterile environments and under unusual circumstances. Cone drills in the backyard, neighborhood runs wearing a helmet, and bench pressing kids in the living room suddenly became commonplace as players did what they could to stay ready for football.
It was even more difficult for the newbies. With no access to their club facilities, no rookie minicamp to attend, no established network of teammates, and no prior experience with how to train for an NFL season, the Class of 2020 is coming in fresher and greener than most.
Except for new Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs. The team’s second-round draft pick stayed loose and got sharp by running coverage against his older brother, Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
Brother vs. brother.
Trevon Diggs covering his brother Stefon in a little one-on-one.
🎥: Instagram/diggszy_ pic.twitter.com/iV7JSwEJAt
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) July 21, 2020
The Diggs brothers spent time in Miami working out together. Trevon says he won most of their one-on-one battles, but admits his brother may not have been going full-speed.
Cowboys rookie CB Trevon Diggs trained this offseason with his brother, Bills WR Stefon Diggs. Glad to get looks vs. NFL WR.
"I won the majority of the time," Trevon said, laughing. "He don’t want to show me too much. But I try to get as much work [on] releases..so I was happy."
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) July 30, 2020
“When I was in high school, we trained together every day, so it felt good to get back to training with him,” Trevon said, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. “He knows what it takes to get there. I just followed his lead and competed with him every day.”
The Alabama product is bringing that same mentality with him as Cowboys training camp finally gets underway in Frisco.
#DallasCowboys rookie @TrevonDiggs is ready to "compete every day." 😤 #EarnTheStar
🔗 https://t.co/GO3uUDDamp pic.twitter.com/EqwnoGB3ac
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) July 30, 2020
The Cowboys and Bills aren’t scheduled to meet during the 2020 regular season, so fans won’t get to see the brothers go head-to-head this year. It will be a real treat when it finally happens; the two clearly share a special relationship, as evidenced by the video message that Stefon shared with his little brother the night the Cowboys drafted Trevon.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_TRvhPpQ1P/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading
Even as Trevon begins his rookie training camp, he’s still relying on regular advice from his big brother.
“He’s been a blessing. I call him every day, after everything I do, after every meeting. Just trying to get tips, things he went through that he can help me on,” Diggs said per the team website. “He’s been a real help for me this offseason, just trying to prepare me for the NFL – getting my body right, getting my conditioning right, and doing everything I can to be able to compete in this league.”
But first, Diggs will be competing against multi-year veterans like Anthony Brown, Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, and Daryl Worley- as well as fellow rookie Reggie Robinson- for a spot in Dallas’s starting lineup.
If he does claim a starting role, it may be due in part to all those reps he took this offseason against the five-year veteran in Buffalo who shares his last name.
“The most helpful advice he told me is just to never quit. Keep working, keep working hard every day. Compete, compete, compete,” Trevon said. “The only way to give yourself a chance is to do everything right. That’s one of the main things he told me, so that’s my main focus: listen and try to compete.”
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