Hall of Fame
Rick Diggs was a staple on the Red Raider football teams from 1971-74 during the debut seasons at Seth Grove Stadium. Diggs arrived as a defensive end but quickly became an integral figure in the Red Raider offense and served as a co-captain in his senior season.
As a freshman in 1971, Diggs served as a defensive end. The following year he played on both sides of the ball and was eventually switched to halfback in Shippensburg’s wishbone offense. Diggs finished the 1972 season with 31 total tackles and two fumble recoveries on defense while averaging 3.2 yards per carry as a halfback.
In 1973, the team switched to a Pro Set offense and Diggs was the integral halfback. He finished the season as the team leader in rushing, totaling 537 total yards on the ground and averaging 3.5 yards per carry while scoring four touchdowns. His efforts merited an All-PSAC Second Team selection.
As a senior, Diggs became the first Shippensburg football player to rush for 1,000 yards in one season and helped the team compile a record of 7-4 – the first winning season for the Red Raiders in six years and only the second winning season in more than a decade.
Diggs finished the 1974 season as an All-PSAC First Team selection with 1,098 rushing yards, averaging four yards per carry, while tying a single-season school record with 15 touchdowns. For his career, Diggs totaled 1,700 rushing yards and scored 19 touchdowns.
Several other records were either set or broken by Diggs during his senior season. In a 14-7 victory over Kutztown, Diggs set a school record with 37 carries that still stands at the time of his induction. In that performance, Diggs set a record for the most consecutive carries by the same player with eight.
In the 1974 season opener against West Virginia Tech, Diggs ran for 182 yards on 36 carries that established a school record for single-game yardage. Diggs also held a 28-year school record for the most consecutive carries without a fumble at 152. He teamed with Rene Posey against Lock Haven to become the first modern tandem to each total 100 rushing yards in the same game.
At the time of his induction, Diggs ranked 10th in school history for career rushing yards and was one of just four Red Raiders to ever rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season.
In his time after graduation, Diggs was the head football coach at Morgan State University from 1991-95 and also served as an assistant coach at the University of South Carolina.
