Dante Stills claims WVU 's all-time tackle for loss record
West Virginia’s Dante Stills became the Mountaineers’ all time TFL leader with 48.5, after tackling TCU’s Kendre Miller on a screen pass for a one yard loss.
“At first I didn't really know how to feel once I made the play, but once I made it, I got up and started smiling and I realized, now I’m at the top,” said Stills.
In his journey to number one, Stills passed numerous legends, including two of his own kin. His father, Gary Stills, was a standout, All Big-East first-team linebacker at WVU, who went on to have a decade-long career in the NFL.
“He called me, he congratulated me. I told him I’m gonna try to pass him in sacks, I think I have like five and a half left, but that's a lot,” said the current defensive lineman.
The eldest of the Stills legends still holds the number two spot all-time for sacks at West Virginia. His jersey number 55 is the reason his son reps the same digits.
Stills’ older brother, Darius, was also quick to reach out to congratulate his younger brother, messaging him his kudos before the game had even concluded. The oldest of the two brothers previously played alongside the new TFL leader, before being signed to the Raiders in May of 2021.
Amongst other former Mountaineer greats, Stills surpassed two former consensus All-American linebackers Julian Miller, and most recently, Grant Wiley, to claim the throne as West Virginia’s newest TFL king.
“It means everything just knowing that them guys were great players and put everything they have into this program. It's just an honor. I’m blessed to be able to do it here at home,” said Stills, the native from Fairmont. ““It's definitely great to have… It's kind of hard to put it in words because it's such a surreal moment.”
Despite the pride in his accomplishment, Stills emphasizes his desire and commitment to continue to be humble, both for his character and for future aspirations.
“I still feel like I can improve on so much of my game. I still feel like I need to do more for the team, but at the same time, it's still some type of validation,” said Stills, adding, “It's a great feeling but I would trade it for a win any day.”
As he said, while taking the time to relish the accolade is important, there is still room for improvement on the rest of the season, both personally and for the group. With this being his final year of college eligibility, Stills has the hope of playing in a bowl game in his last season, before setting his sights on the NFL draft.
Regardless, it’s safe to say that there’s plenty more to be seen from the defensive lineman, who’s etched his name in the record books for years to come.
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