Wiggins set for return to the field
August 27, 2015 | Football
After sitting out one season, Wiggins set for Auburn on Sept. 5.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - For transfers, the hardest part for them is sitting out that year without playing in a football game. The practices without the opportunity to play in a game, and the work on the scout teams can be difficult for the highest competitors.
For University of Louisville defensive back Shaq Wiggins, the one-year wait is almost over. Nine days before the Cardinals travel to Wiggins' hometown of Atlanta, Ga., the 5-foot-9 cornerback is ready to face Auburn in his first game at Louisville in the 2015 Chick-fil-A Game in the Georgia Dome against a top 10 team.
"It hasn't really hit me yet," Wiggins said. "Maybe it will hit me when we pull up to the Dome it might hit me. Josh (Harvey-Clemons) were talking the about it all week that we are ready to play and how fast the time went. It's our time now."
A native of Tyrone, Ga., Wiggins is looking forward to getting back on the field, and will get to do it in his hometown. A transfer from Georgia, he played one season for the Bulldogs before joining the Cardinals last year. It's been a tough road, but Wiggins it happened for a reason.
"Things happen for a reason," Wiggins said after Thursday's practice. "To be to be able to play back in my hometown in Atlanta, it's a great feeling and should be a great experience. I will have a lot of family and friends in attendance, and hope everyone else will be watching."
Playing for the Bulldogs in 2012, Wiggins played in 12 games, making eight starts, but more importantly, he led the team in interceptions, including one in the TaxSlayer Bowl versus Nebraska. He teamed with current safety Josh Harvey-Clemons, who will also be making his Louisville debut.
Terrell Buckley, one of the most exciting corners to ever play in college and in the league, sees a lot of himself in Wiggins, and knows the under-sized defensive has grown this fall as a player and a person.
"He has good speed and great feet," said Buckely, who is in his second year with the Cardinals. "He understands the game and he is getting better at that. He needs to take that to the next level. He can take everything to another level and make him better."
Wiggins has the confidence to play one of the toughest positions on the field, according to Buckley. He knows that Wiggins is ready to get back on the playing field, and the sophomore agrees.
"I'm looking forward to getting back on the field," Wiggins said. "I've worked hard in the weight room and on my technique. It's gone by fast, but it still has been a long time. I'm just ready."
The Cardinals are also getting ready for the opener on Sept. 5. UofL will conduct its final scrimmage of the fall on Friday night before taking off on Saturday and returning to the field on Sunday evening.
