CFL, Underdog Standout Turning Heads in Jets Training Camp

Stiggers may be further ahead than the Jets originally thought, though. 

Opening up training camp Wednesday, Stiggers intercepted a pass on the third-team defense - continuing an impressive run of them throughout organized team activities. 

For a player who had given up on football just a few years ago, the meteoric rise of Stiggers has been a story for the record books. 

And no one seems more impressed than the top players on the current Jets roster.

"It's no surprise at all," Gardner said of Stiggers. "The guys in our room, and the guys who have been in our room, they bring in guys that are hungry and willing to learn. They translate it to the field and go out and make plays."

Gardner's maturation as a leader has been a big help for Stiggers specifically as he makes the jump to the pro game. After being named the rookie of the year for the CFL, it wouldn't have been uncommon for the Atlanta native to need some time to get acclimated to the NFL.

It's why Gardner has consistently pushed the rookie to keep things in perspective.

"I was telling 'Stig (Stiggers) 'it's only training camp, but let's not make it more than it is," Gardner explained. "We're going to compete, but it's basically OTAs with more people watching."

Of course, few players are coming to the NFL who have dealt with the kind of journey that Stiggers has had. 

Before he could play college football at the Division II level, he returned home to Atlanta to help support his family (13 siblings) when his father died after several months in a coma because of injuries from a car crash. The mental toll that put on Stiggers forced him to walk away from the game before his career took off. 

But the push from his mother and family in general got Stiggers into the Fan Controlled Football League, and later the CFL as an up-and-coming cornerback. 

From there, the Jets have been enamored with the 22-year-old enough to make him the 176th overall pick in April's draft. 

Since then, Stiggers has been busy surprising coaches on the Jets staff, and proving he belongs at the NFL level. Should his top play continue, it may not be long before the Jets rely on him for key defensive snaps on Sundays.