It was a very emotional day in the household of Trevon Diggs as he prepared to depart for training camp in the process of landing a historic contract extension from the Cowboys.
OXNARD, California — Trevon Diggs is entering a new tax bracket thanks to his shiny new five-year contract extension with the Dallas Cowboys that can earn him upwards of $100 million, a deal that was agreed to one day before players and coaches took to the practice field on Wednesday.
Diggs, the team's former second-round pick in 2020 who has gone on to make history en route to amassing 17 interceptions in three seasons, was candid when detailing his reaction to the news.
"I was extremely proud, I was crying on my way to Oxnard, on the plane," he said.
The 24-year-old has his entire NFL career ahead of him, and the next six years will be in Dallas.
"I'm just very appreciative of the opportunity," said Diggs following the first practice of Cowboys training camp. "Just this organization trusting in my abilities, trusting what I do on the field and I'm doing everything I can to help this franchise win a Super Bowl. I'm truly grateful. It means a lot — being able to get it done before camp and now I can just focus on football."
Negotiations between Diggs' representation and the Cowboys were ongoing this summer and he was confident the deal would get done before camp, and he was proven correct.
If it wasn't, however, it wouldn't have impacted his plans for camp. And the question now becomes a fairly obvious one: how will Diggs carry the added pressure of being the highest-paid defensive back in franchise history?
The answer lies in how he feels less pressure now, not more.
"It's a lot of weight off of your shoulders — regardless of if it was done in camp or not in camp, I was still gonna go about my work the same way."
Bottom line? Diggs doesn't feel like he's reached top gear — not by a long shot.
"Hell no," he said, emphatically. "I'm just starting. Literally. … I feel like money isn't everything because, at the end of the day, you still have to go out there and perform. They give contracts to guys all the time and some guys don't perform after.
"My main goal is to stay consistent, to stay building on my career, to build a great resume so that I'll go down as one of the best DBs to play the game."
He's as all-in on being the best ever as the Cowboys are in giving him the platform to achieve it.
"I just want to be flawless, all the way around," Diggs said. "I want to have no flaws in my game. I want to be perfect."
