{"id":34540,"date":"2021-01-28T09:00:36","date_gmt":"2021-01-28T14:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=34540"},"modified":"2021-01-27T17:15:16","modified_gmt":"2021-01-27T22:15:16","slug":"darius-stills-from-overlooked-to-all-american","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2021\/01\/28\/darius-stills-from-overlooked-to-all-american\/","title":{"rendered":"Darius Stills: From Overlooked to All-American"},"content":{"rendered":"

Darius Stills<\/a> arrived in Morgantown in June of 2017 with few outside expectations. Many viewed him as an undersized defensive lineman. Only a select few thought he could make an impact at the Power-Five level. Indeed, he committed to West Virginia holding only two offers from such programs. His approach to developing his game, however, remains as simple and as nuanced as his game on the field. With it, Darius took himself from overlooked to All-American in three-and-a-half short years.<\/p>\n

Darius Stills: From Overlooked to All-American<\/h2>\n

The Portrait of a Young Darius<\/h3>\n

Most people know by now that Darius grew up in Fairmont, son of Gary Stills<\/a> and Janeen Floyd<\/strong>. His father, Gary, built his own legend playing linebacker for the Mountaineers in the late 90s. Based on that work, the Kansas City Chiefs selected Gary in the 3rd<\/sup> round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He even earned a Pro Bowl selection during his ten-year NFL career.<\/p>\n

Despite that background, Darius actually played soccer before he ever considered playing football. But one day Darius and his brother Dante Stills<\/a> were tossing a ball around while watching a family friend\u2019s football practice. Deion Dobbs<\/strong> saw the two brothers and encouraged Floyd to push her sons into the game. Darius confessed that he was intimidated at first but that quickly subsided.<\/p>\n

Though he enjoyed the game from his first moments, Darius told us he really built a passion for the game during his junior year of high school, when he \u201cstarted getting to show[ing] what [he] could do.\u201d There, he played on the lines and rotated some at linebacker. According to Darius, he started to envision where he could take himself with football from there. The whole time, however, he was just \u201cfocused on being a ballplayer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finding Motivation<\/h3>\n

That being said, the road was a bit windy for Darius. As he grew into his starting role, he did not command as much attention from scouts as he thought he should. The lack of attention came despite strong performances riding the camp circuit. According to his mother, she really started to understand how good Darius could be at football during these events. Of course, she \u201calways knew Darius was going do big things, whether it was on or off of the field.\u201d<\/p>\n

But their trips to combines and camps showed her that those big things were more likely to be on the field. She recalled fondly that Darius would always take the biggest and best players head-on in camps. She tells us that Darius \u201cbeat everyone he ever went up against.\u201d Darius started racking up accolades at the camps, even winning MVP at one.<\/p>\n

Darius tells us much the same story. When we asked how he thought he performed at those camps, Darius didn\u2019t miss a beat, \u201cI tore people up.\u201d He did not say this with arrogance but to make his ultimate point. Despite performing so well, scouts still viewed him as undersized. Coaches seemed to agree, as Darius only received two Power Five offers, from West Virginia and Rutgers.<\/p>\n

Instead of finding a reason to be dejected, however, Darius told us he drew motivation from the experience. He knew that in order to prove himself he had to \u201cbe the best or beat the best\u201d in those camps. Darius said, once you do that, the \u201ceyes are on you.\u201d And as the camp circuits concluded, He made it his personal mission to \u201cmake these coaches wish they\u2019d have offered a scholarship.\u201d After all, Darius always \u201cknew the type of player [he] was\u201d and he \u201cfelt disrespected.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finding the Edge<\/h3>\n

In fact, he developed his edge based on that feeling of disrespect. Tangibly, of course, he offers a lot of skill on the field. In his own words, he knows he is \u201creally quick\u201d for his size. Objectively, he is. We would add that Darius plays with technical proficiency and uses his quickness, strength, and technique as well as anyone we have seen in Morgantown. But when asked what his unique edge was, Darius didn\u2019t hesitate to contribute two things. First, he said, he\u2019s \u201creally just a football player.\u201d Second, and most importantly, he admits he has a \u201cbig chip on [his] shoulder.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is that chip, that persistent feeling of being doubted, that serves as Darius\u2019 motivation. In fact, when we asked Darius whether he felt any pressure growing up the son of an NFL veteran, he said he felt none. He always knew that he and his dad were \u201ccompletely different players.\u201d That does not mean that his dad had no impact, however. Darius said that Gary \u201cinfluence[d] us to be great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Work Ethic<\/h3>\n

Where that greatness comes from is clear and Darius\u2019s work ethic is top-notch. In fact, he told us the COVID environment did not change his routine one bit. He always used his free time to \u201crecover his body.\u201d Darius concluded, \u201cI live football 24\/7.\u201d Ultimately, that<\/em> is the product of his belief in himself despite outside doubters. He also shared that he never frequented the bars and clubs because that would lead to \u201cnothing but trouble.\u201d As a result, those limitations did not affect him. That sharp focus also paints a vivid picture of what success looks like.<\/p>\n

Darius feeds from the chip on his shoulder. He finds that fuel everywhere. His own doubters laid the first bricks. Then, when he saw his brother Dante accumulate multiple offers, that \u201cmade [Darius\u2019] chip even bigger.\u201d At the end of the day, Dante used that to \u201chelp [Darius] to push [him]self to do the best [he] could.\u201d Darius took it from there. On the limited scholarship offers, Darius told us, simply, that \u201cGod has a plan for everybody.\u201d For Darius, apparently, the plan was to churn that internal fire.<\/p>\n

From Overlooked to All-American<\/h2>\n

In the Beginning<\/h3>\n

When Darius first came to college, he admits he \u201cdidn\u2019t know how it was going to go.\u201d Indeed, in his first year, his playing time was limited. He competed for snaps with players like Ezekiel Rose<\/a>, Lamonte McDougle<\/a>, and Reese Donahue<\/a>. In his sophomore season, he competed with his brother, Rose, Donahue, Kenny Bigelow<\/a>, and Jabril Robinson<\/a>. While he found his way into a bigger share of the rotating snaps, he still hadn\u2019t \u201carrived.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his junior season, however, Darius made a big splash after responding to Head Coach Neal Brown<\/a>\u2019s challenge for Darius to offer more consistency. He honed his edge and made good on his promises to himself. See, while Darius wasn\u2019t sure how college was going to look, he certainly made big goals. Led by a new coaching staff, Darius fine-tuned his approach.<\/p>\n

Learning the Why<\/h4>\n

Instead of focusing solely on the doubt, Darius says that Brown challenged him and others to \u201cknow our why.\u201d Brown \u201cupped the family culture\u201d in Morgantown<\/a> and encouraged the team to \u201cplay for each other.\u201d From that, Darius realized he was not just playing for his own goals, though they remained. Instead, he \u201cplayed for [his] family, for West Virginia.\u201d Knowing what he played for made a huge difference, as Darius racked up All-Conference First Team honors after a tremendous junior season.<\/p>\n

Darius could have easily moved on to the NFL at that point. Instead, he chose to return for one last season. Then, the recognition started coming. Towards the end of his junior year, Darius said that those same coaches who doubted him started specifically \u201cscheming to stop [Darius] and [his] brother.\u201d Those same coaches\u2014and the voices who watch them\u2014named Darius to pre-season award watch lists. He earned pre-season Big XII Defensive Player of the Year honors and pre-season All-American honors from numerous sources.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Darius used his senior season to hone his \u201cwhy.\u201d He played for a team. As for the extra attention he commanded, Darius admits happily that this allowed other \u201cplayers to break out.\u201d The extra focus on him meant less focus on others, like Akheem Mesidor, who were freed to terrorize the backfield.<\/p>\n

Becoming an All-American<\/h3>\n

Media and voters certainly took notice. Despite a slightly down season statistically, media and coaches were not fooled. This had not meant Darius regressed. It simply meant he commanded added attention from those same opposing coaches who stoked Darius\u2019 embers. As for God\u2019s plan? To this point, Darius fulfilled it the best he could. He etched his name in history becoming the first Consensus All-American in Morgantown since 2006.<\/p>\n

He even had some fun at his dad\u2019s expense. Once he learned of his selection, Darius called his father and told him, \u201cI got one thing that you didn\u2019t; I\u2019m All American.\u201d The two shared a hearty laugh. So much for that \u201cundersized\u201d and overlooked defensive tackle from Fairmont. He certainly completed his road from overlooked to All-American.<\/p>\n

From Overlooked to All-American: Still Doubters<\/h3>\n

Darius\u2019s story does not end with his All-American honors, however. Surprisingly, despite the recognition and rising draft stock, the Senior Bowl did not invite Darius to participate. Asked about the snub, Darius responded simply, \u201cbeing slept on is a familiar feeling to me.\u201d Undoubtedly, he will keep working to \u201cprove people wrong.\u201d Clearly, Darius remains shocked by the snub. \u201cI\u2019ve never heard of an All-American not being invited to the Senior Bowl,\u201d he added frankly.<\/p>\n

We hear him. We don\u2019t recall any similar examples either. Darius, however, has work left to do. And if God\u2019s plan for Darius requires that edge and that chip on his shoulder to grow, then He simply added more ammunition.<\/p>\n

Next Steps<\/h3>\n

For now, he continues to hone his craft and prepare his body for the Combine and NFL Draft. Using the lessons Mike Joseph<\/strong> and the training team taught him, Darius currently finds himself working with trainers in Ft. Lauderdale. While he told us he \u201cmisses it back home,\u201d he continues to give his full attention to his next goal. He was even \u201ctold to slow down\u201d during his workouts earlier this week.<\/p>\n

Darius wants to hear his name called at the NFL Draft and prove he belongs. While he did mention a few teams he would love to play for (which we will refrain from disclosing), Darius is just hoping to find \u201cany scheme I can fit in.\u201d He added, \u201cany team that wants me, I will appreciate [the opportunity].\u201d For now, he continues to \u201ctrust the process.\u201d After he gets to the NFL, Darius wants to be \u201cmaking plays like Aaron Donald<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

These are big goals from a young man with a big vision. When we asked Darius if he had any advice for young kids who might want to follow in his footsteps, he was clear. \u201cDon\u2019t let anyone tell you what you can and can\u2019t do.\u201d He added, \u201ckeep proving yourself right and proving them wrong.\u201d Darius has certainly done that. As for fans, Darius just wanted to thank them for everything they\u2019ve done. He promises, \u201cI\u2019m gonna make y’all proud.\u201d Indeed, he already has, but do not tell him that too loudly (yet). We do not want to starve the fuel for his next battle.<\/p>\n

\n
Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n