Patriots’ Stefon Diggs has helped fuel Super Bowl run with his fire on the field

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - Left back pylon. One knee. Head bowed. Eyes closed.

That is how Stefon Diggs will spend some of his final moments prior to kickoff of the first Super Bowl of his career.

It's been a staple of the wide receiver's routine before each game he's played this season for the New England Patriots.

Following pregame warmups, he also calls his teammates in to huddle around him as he leads one of a series of impassioned, fiery and often viral speeches.

"I just say what I feel like I'm supposed to do and just go," Diggs said. "It's not so much the words, it's more so the tenacity."

Then, he turns the volume down for his prayer in the corner of the end zone.

"Taking a second to kind of appreciate where I am and give my thanks to God and kind of have my little moment with him. Thanking him for the trials and tribulations," Diggs said. "Building my character up a little bit as a person and making these shoulders weight-bearing, I guess."

Both are necessary for the player whom teammates call the emotional centerpiece of their Super Bowl run. And for Diggs, it's been fuel during a comeback season that didn't seem likely after his tenure in Houston last season was cut short by a knee injury.

But, after posting his seventh 1,000-yard receiving season in his 11th year in the league, he may also be the not-so-secret weapon for an offense that will need to be at its best against a Seattle defense that allowed an NFL-low 17.2 points per game during the regular season.

So many of the things that got Diggs to this point stemmed from an initial sense of trust he found early in his free agent process last summer.

When Diggs signed with Houston in 2024, he acknowledged it was in an effort to chase a championship. But Diggs purposely didn't have many expectations after signing in free agency with New England.

What drew him initially to the Patriots was a sense of trust he felt after finding an almost instant connection with wide receivers coach Todd Downing, who was the tight ends coach in Minnesota in 2018 when Diggs was there.

He got the same thing from the "straight shooter" he met in coach Mike Vrabel, as well as offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. It was McDaniels whom Diggs credits with unlocking a work ethic he hadn't had during his pro career.

McDaniels said the veteran receiver has been the perfect match for second-year quarterback Drake Maye.

"I think it's great for Drake to be around a player as accomplished at Stef," McDaniels said. "Drake has learned how to assimilate with him, (to) work together with a player that has been around a long time and been around a lot of good quarterbacks. I think it's been great for Drake's growth and development."

After Diggs eclipsed 1,000 yards during New England's regular-season finale, a win over Miami, Maye's mind went back to the preseason when he invited all the receivers to his home state of North Carolina for some throwing sessions.

He didn't think someone as "big time" as Diggs would have time to participate. But he did.

"Kind of from that point on, I felt like, man, looking forward to getting with him on the field and seeing him do his thing, and he's done his thing time and time again," Maye said. "Some games he's not getting the ball as much as any receiver would want to, and he's still trying to block hard and keeps the energy up and breaking the team down and motivating me."

Wide receiver DeMario Douglas said Diggs also has been central to their group bonding.

"Before this season even started we got close," Douglas said. "That was a big reason of us not being selfish. Of course, we're all receivers, we all want to touch the ball. But ... like your brothers, your blood brothers, you want to see them do great no matter what. This is how it is in our room."

Diggs has also created a new Patriots fan along way, thanks to his high-profile relationship with Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B. She has not only been a force cheering for Diggs on social media, but a presence in team owner Robert Kraft's suite during games.

She and Diggs also celebrated the birth of a son together in November. It's helped Diggs keep his mind on football after being accused in December of strangulation and other criminal charges in connection with a dispute with his former private chef. Diggs has denied the allegations.

"She wasn't a football girl before I converted her over," Diggs said. "But I'm just thankful to have her in my corner. She's an amazing woman and continue to build that relationship. ... I just appreciate her. Hopefully build on that and watch that tree grow."

As for Sunday, Diggs expects to bring the same voice for his team that he has all season.

"I mean what I say and say what I mean," Diggs said. "My teammates know that, and the biggest thing is they know I'm trying not to be a 'rah-rah' guy. I try to be more show rather than I tell. It's the fact that I can back my words up with what I say. I try to go as hard as I can to give it everything I've got."