Stefon Diggs Expresses Pride After Scoring First Touchdown as Patriots, Capping Off 77-Yard Drive
In an exciting moment for the New England Patriots, Stefon Diggs scored his first touchdown with the team, capping off a remarkable 77-yard drive. The star wide receiver, who joined the Patriots with high expectations, expressed his pride in the achievement and his excitement about contributing to the offense in such a significant way.
“I’m really proud to get my first touchdown here with the Patriots,” Diggs said after the game. “It’s a special moment for me, and it feels great to connect with the team and help us put points on the board. That 77-yard drive was a great team effort, and I’m just glad to be part of it.”
Diggs, who has been one of the top wide receivers in the NFL, showed why he was such a prized addition to the Patriots. His ability to make plays downfield and find the end zone has already made a significant impact on the offense, and this touchdown marked a key moment in his transition to his new team.
The 77-yard drive, which was a mixture of precise passes and solid runs, was capped off by Diggs' impressive catch and run into the end zone, showcasing his elite route running and speed. The play energized the Patriots and demonstrated the potential of their revamped offense with Diggs in the fold.
As the Patriots look to build momentum, Diggs' confidence and leadership are expected to play a crucial role in their offensive success moving forward. For Diggs, this touchdown is just the beginning of what he hopes will be a long and successful tenure in New England. "This is just the start," he added. "I’m excited for what’s to come, and we’re just getting warmed up."
Fresh job opening could uniquely test Kelvin Sheppard's loyalty to Dan Campbell
Amid all the injuries the Detroit Lions' defense dealt with last season, former coordinator Aaron Glenn had to work magic with a skeleton crew. But Kelvin Sheppard took that to a different level in Week 7, as his unit held the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to nine points and 251 yards of offense.
If the Lions' defense continues to perform like it has, it's not out of the question Sheppard will have opportunities to interview for head coaching jobs after the season. The question would be if he'll take those opportunities to interview, or take a head coaching job if it were offered to him after just one year as a coordinator.
Sheppard has consistently revealed why he is so loyal to Lions head coach Dan Campbell, right down to wondering if he should change his hair style and how Campbell flatly told him not to.
"Thinking about cutting your what? What?", Sheppard recalled Campbell saying when he interviewed to be the Lions' linebackers coach in 2021, via Kyle Meinke of MLive. "Are you crazy? First of all, I love your hair. But seriously, Shep, if I’m hiring you, if anybody’s hiring you, they’re hiring you because of you. You got those jobs because of who you are, not because of somebody you’re trying to become. That resonated with me.”
Upon being promoted to replace Glenn, Sheppard revealed he had opportunities to be a defensive coordinator elsewhere. But he held to his previous assertion about not wanting to work for anyone but Campbell.
New job opening is set to really test Kelvin Sheppard's loyalty to Dan Campbell
On Sunday night, after a bad loss to Texas A&M on Saturday night, the news moved fasted and LSU fired head coach Brian Kelly despite a hefty buyout.
Sheppard played at LSU from 2007-2010. After he retired as a player, he went back to his alma mater as Director of Player Development in 2020.
Earlier this month, Kory Woods of MLive asked Sheppard how that year back at LSU helped him form close relationships with players.
Before he joined Dan Campbell's staff in 2021, #Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard served as the Director of player development at @LSUfootball.
Today, I asked him how that role helped him build a bond with players on the Lions defense.
: @Lions pic.twitter.com/QkkDPkHD8X
— Kory Woods, MSW (@KoryEWoods) October 2, 2025
"That’s very interesting that you brought that up, because I tell everybody that made me the coach that I am", Sheppard said. "Because you have to understand the person before you understand the player. You’re never going to get through to the player if you don’t know the person, and it’s as simple as that "And I respect these guys as people first."
"It helps that I sat in that seat, and I know what it feels like to be a number versus a person. And when you see them as people, they see you as a person," Sheppard said "And that’s relatable. Like in this game, that’s relatable. You can coach them a certain way when they know you have their best interest."
"That role that I had at LSU was a beautiful thing. A lot of it was chasing kids around, making sure they were in class, not in class, ‘Where are you? Why are you doing this? You can’t talk to the coach like that.’ But I learned throughout that it’s all different types of people, man," said Sheppard. "It’s ones who get it the first time, it’s ones who learn from others, and then it’s ones who take more that take multiple times."
While LSU is sure to have some big fish on their radar, Sheppard has quickly surfaced on some lists of candidates to replace Kelly. A lot of fan sentiment on social media has also landed firmly in favor of him as a candidate.
Sheppard isn't the type of coach who will let anything outside the lines of football, or simply where he'd like to work, drive where he goes in his career. But if LSU wants him, they can make him a significant financial offer while tapping into the affinity he has for his alma mater.
As loyal as he is to Campbell, it's very possible Sheppard will choose to spend at least one more year as the Lions' defensive coordinator before he seriously entertains opportunities to become a head coach.
If they do a thorough search to replace Kelly, it's fair to assume LSU will reach out to Sheppard. He may say "thanks, but no thanks", but one thing is for sure.
LSU can test Sheppard's loyalty to Campbell and the Lions like no other head coaching opportunity can. It's just a matter of if they will pursue him, and how far they might go in the effort to hire him.
