What is the story behind why Stefon Diggs wears the No. 14?

The Minnesota Vikings top wide receiver recently shared a few reasons for why he chose to wear the No. 14 when he entered the NFL in 2015.

Prior to stepping onto the field for the Minnesota Vikings in 2015, not too many were sure what to expect from Stefon Diggs in the NFL. The young receiver out of Maryland didn’t get drafted until the fifth round and he didn’t even appear in a game for the Vikings until Week 4 of the 2015 season.

Fast forward to now and Diggs is not only regarded as one of the best wide receivers on Minnesota’s roster, but in the entire league as well.

He is not built like the typical, big-bodied NFL pass-catcher. But Diggs has used his quickness and exceptional route-running ability to evolve into one of the league’s most talented receivers.

Another unique thing about him is the number he wears on his purple and gold jersey each week. Diggs wore the No. 1 during his college days at Maryland, but he went with No. 14 once he arrived in Minnesota.

Recently, the Vikings receiver discussed the reasons behind why he wears the No. 14 on his jersey for each game with NFL Media’s Dave Dameshek.

"“I think there were 14 receivers taken before me (in the 2015 draft). 14 was another thing for my dad, my dad passed away when I was 14. And at the combine, I think I wore something close to that too. So 14 came around a lot and out of the numbers (to choose from in Minnesota), it was either 14, or 89, or 83 and 14 seemed the (best).”"

It’s likely that Diggs didn’t pick the No. 14 because of the amount of receivers that were drafted ahead of him in 2015, since there were actually 18 selected before him. But honoring his late father with his jersey number is very admirable.

Diggs is coming off a very impressive 2018 season where he set new career highs for catches (102), yards (1,021), and touchdowns (nine). And at 25-years-old, the receiver is just starting to hit the prime of his career.

In 2019, hopefully No. 14 and the rest of his Vikings teammates will be achieving a lot more success than what they did this past season.