When Stefon Diggs stood on a snowy Empower Field after the Patriots’ AFC Championship win, tears were streaming down his face.

For Diggs, it was just a flash in the pan.

“I fought long and hard. It means the world to me. I mean, I’ve been playing this game since I was 5 years old. I’ve always wanted to be a champion. I’ve always wanted to be a Super Bowl champion. And that opportunity is right in front of me,” Diggs said.

This will be Diggs’ first Super Bowl appearance in his 11-year career. He came closest five years ago, but then was left on the field as he watched the Kansas City Chiefs celebrate the AFC Championship.

After that season, he never returned to the conference title game and was ultimately traded by the Buffalo Bills, with his 2024 season cut short due to a torn ACL with the Houston Texans, leaving his future uncertain once again.

The long journey home ultimately made the moment even sweeter.

“In my case, I’ve been in the league for 11 years. I’ve failed a lot,” Diggs said. “It’s perfect timing at the moment. I was coming back from an ACL injury. New team, new situation, new coach, new teammates. Everything happened exactly as it was supposed to. So I’m just grateful and thank God.”

On Sunday, as Diggs trotted off the field, he raised a finger in the air and repeatedly said “one more time” to Patriots fans who had crowded along the lower bowl to celebrate the moment.

While a Super Bowl appearance wasn’t Diggs’ ultimate goal, he’s now focused on finishing the job by winning the Lombardi Trophy against the Seattle Seahawks.

“It meant a lot to us that we were able to get through this, and we know we’re going to get back to where we were. I feel like no one is complacent or happy, but we’re not complacent,” Diggs said. “We’re happy to be where we are, but we know it’s more out there for us. We don’t know how this situation is going to change, but everyone in that room celebrating over there wants one more.”