Qwan’tez Stiggers squeezed an entire preseason’s worth of ups and downs into 18 minutes.
Sidelined for about two weeks after he fainted on the field during the Aug. 11 joint practice against the Buccaneers and was hospitalized, Stiggers returned Friday to force an interception and recover a fumble for a takeaway-starved Jets defense during the 23-6 loss to the Giants.
He was in the NFL’s concussion protocol for part of his recovery.
“It was pretty scary,” Stiggers said after the game. “I thank God that everything was OK. Credit to the training staff for doing an excellent job assessing and getting me the proper care I need.”
Stiggers said he was diagnosed with heat-related vasovagal syncope, which is a syndrome that causes blood pressure to drop because blood vessels widen and restrict the flow to the brain.
“I just wanted to pick up where I left off,” Stiggers said. “I’m grateful to continue to be here. And I trust in this coaching staff to put me in great position. I was trying to go [back to play] the week before, but they were like, ‘Give your body some time to heal.’ ”
Stiggers returned to practice earlier this week and started Friday as the Jets sat their entire first-team secondary.
It didn’t take him long into his matchup against the focal point of the game — receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who was trying to solidify his roster spot with the Giants — to make waves.
“It was definitely a surreal moment to go against Odell because I used to watch him all the time — the one-hand catches and the dancing,” Stiggers said. “I used to have a mohawk just like him, but when you are between the lines there aren’t any friends; just win your one-on-one.”
Beckham slipped at the top of his route, and Stiggers came over the top with his long arm to bat the ball into the air.
Marcelino McCrary-Ball slid under the ball to secure an interception, which the Jets turned into a 10-play, 36-yard drive (all on the ground).
Any ball disruption on a defense that last season became the first in NFL history to go interception-less for a full schedule is going to open eyes within the Jets.
McCrary-Ball (forced fumble) and Stiggers (recovery) — two Atlanta natives — combined later in the first quarter on a second takeaway inside the red zone.
“Complementary football between me and Marcelino,” Stiggers said.
But then things turned difficult for Stiggers, who committed a 15-yard penalty for interfering with Berrios’ ability to catch a punt.
In the third season since he was the rare draft pick out of the Canadian Football League who didn’t play college football, Stiggers is a second-team cornerback, so special teams accounts for a big part of his value.
“I was trying to put [my blocker] into the returner, and he kind of bailed out last minute,” Stiggers said. “It won’t happen again.”
And Stiggers was on the oh-no end of the game’s near-highlight.
Beckham blew past Stiggers and was open by seven yards for what could’ve been a welcome-back touchdown, but Jameis Winston overthrew the ball and it went off a diving Beckham’s fingertips to spare Stiggers.
