Ahead of his first game at Ford Field since being shipped from Detroit to Seattle in 2019, former Lions safety Quandre Diggs admitted "it'll be weird walking down that tunnel as a visitor."
"Of course you think about it," Diggs said this week as the Seahawks prepare for Sunday's game against the Lions. "It's the first time going back since the trade. It's always a special place for me. Even watching on film and just seeing the turf and the fans in the stadium, it brings back memories. Detroit is what made me into who I am now. Forever grateful for my opportunity."
Under former GM Martin Mayhew, the Lions took Diggs in the sixth round of the 2015 draft. He was a cornerback at Texas who eventually grew into one of the better safeties in the NFL, mostly under the tutelage of Lions former head coach Jim Caldwell and former defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.
"You gotta think, bro, (that's where) I spent my first four and a half years in the league. So if Detroit wouldn’t have taken a shot on a sixth-round guy from Texas, I might not be who I am today," said Diggs. "So I'm blessed for the Ford Family, Jim Caldwell, that coaching staff. That's what made me. Before I was here (in Seattle), I was in Detroit making a name for myself."
Diggs was a player on the rise when the Lions' former regime dealt him to the Seahawks for a fifth-round pick midway through the 2019 season, a trade that sent shockwaves through Detroit's locker room. Matt Patricia couldn't tolerate Diggs' strong personality and thought the Lions could replace his production in the secondary. Whoops: Diggs is now a two-time Pro Bowl safety with the Seahawks and Patricia is a struggling offensive coach with the Patriots.
Diggs declined to rehash the ugly details of the trade, having talked about it plenty of times in the past. Suffice to say, "I'm a pretty outspoken guy and some people can't take that, so there you go." He added his personality had never been a problem before and hasn't been since.
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"My first three years in the league with Coach Caldwell, I was able to let loose and just be who I am. It’s not like it’s a bad thing, but I’m an expressive person who wears my emotions on my sleeve and sometimes I get mad. ... I express my feelings to teammates and I express my feelings to coaches, but I’ve never had a problem with that in my life until the year and a half with the other regime," he said.
As for the Lions' current regime, Diggs said, "Those guys are going. Dan Campbell is in and I love what they're doing. It's cool to see those guys back on the right track."
Diggs also sent "prayers" to former teammate and Lions co-captain Tracy Walker, who suffered a season-ending torn Achilles in Detroit's loss to the Vikings last week.
"That's my guy. Sucks to see," said Diggs. "He’s a great player and I hate to not see him out there, because just knowing him and his energy, the trash talk between me and him would’ve been cool."
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