Trevon Diggs is the 2021 BamaCentral Crimson Tide Pro Athlete of the Year

Former Alabama athletes made their presence known from Tuscaloosa to Tokyo and beyond in 2021.
Trevon Diggs is the 2021 BamaCentral Crimson Tide Pro Athlete of the Year
Trevon Diggs is the 2021 BamaCentral Crimson Tide Pro Athlete of the Year

Built by Bama is the mantra heard and seen all around Tuscaloosa. And we see the product of that all around professional sports. From the NFL to the NBA to MLB to the PGA tour to the Olympics and beyond, a former Alabama athlete is making an impact on the biggest stages of sports. 

There are so many great moments to look back on in the 2021 calendar year for Crimson Tide athletes in the pros. Spencer Turnbull threw a no-hitter for the Detroit Tigers on May 19 against the Mariners. Haylie McCleney won a silver medal for Team USA at the Olympics as part of the softball team. Former Alabama catcher Alex Avila retired from MLB after 13 years in the majors. OJ Howard won a Super Bowl ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and more.

Alabama's list of accomplishments in the NFL this year could take days to list out, but there is one player who stands out above the rest, and that is the 2021 BamaCentral Crimson Tide Pro Athlete of the Year: Trevon Diggs. 

The 2020 second round pick for the Dallas Cowboys has been outstanding from the very first game. Diggs opened the season with a record-breaking streak of interceptions in six straight games, including two against the Panthers on Oct. 3. He returned two of those interceptions for touchdowns with one against Philadelphia and one against New England. 

Overall, the Cowboys' cornerback leads the NFL with 11 interceptions. It is the most by any NFL player in a single season since 1981 and ties the Dallas record with two games still left to go in the regular season. Diggs is two interceptions shy of tying the NFL record for most interceptions in a season at 13. 

Diggs has also helped the Cowboys secure an NFC East title for the first time since 2018. He has 49 total tackles and 21 passes defended on the season. He is a two-time winner of the BamaCentral Crimson Tide Pro Athlete of the Week. 

Honorable Mention

  • Jalen Hurts- Philadelphia Eagles QB
    • Two-time BamaCentral Crimson Tide Pro Athlete of the Week (Sept. 8-14, Nov. 16-22)
    • Leads the NFL in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 10.
    • Second in the NFL only behind Lamar Jackson in rushing yards for a quarterback with 740.
    • Has 2,930 yards and 16 touchdowns as the Eagles' starting quarterback
    • Herbert Jones- New Orleans Pelicans SF
      • Quickly found a starting spot in the Pelicans' starting rotation as a rookie and second-round draft pick
      • Has garnered tons of praise by teammates and analysts alike for his defensive abilities already translating at the pro level
      • Is averaging 8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game with a career-high 26 points against Cleveland on Dec. 28
      • BamaCentral Pro Athlete of the Week- Dec. 7-13
      • Haylie McCleney- Team USA, Softball outfielder
        • Batted .643 and reached base safely 14 of 19 times at the Tokyo Olympics
        • Led Team USA to a silver medal in softball's return to the Olympics for the first time since 2008
        • BamaCentral Pro Athlete of the Week-July 21-27

        Bama Central Pro Athlete of the Week Winners in 2021

        Dec. 29 - Jan. 5 Derrick Henry

        Jan. 6 - 12 Daron Payne

        Jan. 13 - 19 Levi Wallace

        Jan. 20 - 26 Collin Sexton

        Jan. 27 - Feb. 2. JaMychal Green

        Feb. 3 - 9 Collin Sexton

        Feb. 9 - 16 Kira Lewis Jr.

        Feb. 17 - 23 Levi Randolph

        Feb. 24 - March 2 Collin Sexton

        March 3 - 9 Collin Sexton

        March 10 - 16 Justin Thomas

        March 17 - 23 Collin Sexton

        March 24 - 30 JaMychal Green

        March 31 - April 6 Collin Sexton

        April 7 - April 13 Collin Sexton

        April 14 - April 20 Levi Randolph

        April 21 - April 27 Collin Sexton

        April 28 - May 4 Davis Riley

        May 5 - May 11 Collin Sexton

        May 12 - May 18 Dicky Pride

        May 19 - May 25 Spencer Turnbull

        May 26 - June 1 Alexa Guarachi

        June 2 - June 8 Kenzie Wright

        June 9 - June 15 Eryk Anders

        June 16 - June 22 Daniel Haugh

        June 23 - June 29 Daniel Haugh

        June 30 - July 7 Emma Talley

        July 7 - July 13 Blake Sims

        July 14 - July 20 Brett Auerbach

        July 21 - July 27 Haylie McCleney

        July 28 - Aug. 3 Kirani James

        Aug. 4 - Aug. 10 Remona Burchell

        Aug. 11 - Aug. 17 Kira Lewis

        Aug. 18 - Aug. 24 Steven Setterstrom

        Aug. 25 - Aug. 31 Mac Jones

        Sept. 1 - Sept. 7 Justin Thomas

        Sept. 8 - Sept. 14 Jalen Hurts

        Sept. 15 - Sept. 21 Derrick Henry

        Sept. 22 - Sept. 28- Justin Thomas

        Sept. 29 - Oct. 5-Trevon Diggs

        Oct. 6 - Oct. 12- Najee Harris

        Oct. 13 - Oct. 19- Derrick Henry

        Oct. 20- Oct. 26- Mac Jones

        Oct. 27- Nov. 2- Amari Cooper

        Nov. 3- Nov. 8- DeVonta Smith

        Nov. 9- Nov. 15- Mac Jones

        Nov. 16- Nov. 22- Jalen Hurts

        Nov. 23-Nov. 29- Patrick Surtain II

        Nov. 30-Dec. 6- Tua Tagovailoa

        Dec. 7- Dec. 13- Herbert Jones

        Dec. 14- Dec. 20- Trevon Diggs

        Dec. 21-Dec. 27- Jaylen Waddle


Published
Katie Windham
KATIE WINDHAM

Katie Windham is the assistant editor for BamaCentral, primarily covering football, basketball, gymnastics and softball. She is a two-time graduate of the University of Alabama and has covered a variety of Crimson Tide athletics since 2019 for outlets like The Tuscaloosa News, The Crimson White and the Associated Press before joining BamaCentral full time in 2021. Windham has covered College Football Playoff games, the Women's College World Series, NCAA March Madness, SEC Tournaments and championships in multiple sports.

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