MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Already earning first team All-Big 12 and Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year, Darius Stills’ stellar season was topped off Monday by being named a first team AP All-American, WVU’s first since Tavon Austin in 2012 and the first WVU defensive tackle in history to earn the honor.
Stills is winding down his career with the Mountaineers after announcing he will forgo his extra year of eligibility and enter the 2021 NFL Draft, and he will leave as one of the most decorated defensive lineman in school history. Despite his intent to move on, Stills said he will play in the Liberty Bowl on Thursday against Army, relishing that he has one more opportunity to play football.
“I love football, I’ll play as much football as I can, anytime, anywhere,” Stills said. “If I have an opportunity to play another game, especially with my teammates and my brother (Dante), I’m going to play, no questions about it. I respect everybody’s decisions regardless because I don’t know what situations they have but for me, I have one more game left to play with my brother, so I’m going to do it and I’m going to have fun.”
As a junior in 2019, Stills was a first team All-Big 12 performer but did not appear on any All-American lists, although his statistics were better as a junior than as a senior. In 2019, he had 24 more tackles, 3 1/2 more sacks and seven more tackles for loss, albeit in three more games.
According to head coach Neal Brown, the discrepancy between stats and national honors isn’t an error — Stills bought in to what it takes to be a true nose guard.
“What has been really rewarding for me as a coach, if you look at his stats, his stats really aren’t as good as they were a year ago,” Brown said. “But within the scheme of the defense and overall as a football player, he’s played much better. I don’t think his statistics are telling the story and I’m happy he’s getting rewarded for his level of play, not necessarily his numbers.”
Lightly recruited out of high school, Stills used that chip on his shoulder to fuel his career with the Mountaineers. A 3-star prospect out of Fairmont Senior in 2017, he originally had just one Power 5 offer — Rutgers — and committed to the Scarlet Knights. It wasn’t until a day later, WVU extended an offer, which Stills ultimately accepted.
His brother Dante signed with the Mountaineers the following year, but it was a struggle under the previous coaching staff with head coach Dana Holgorsen to get the top in-state prospects to come to WVU. Since Brown took over in early 2019, the Mountaineers have signed the top-rated prospect in West Virginia in the 2020 class (Sean Martin) and 2021 class (Wyatt Milum), and 2022 top target Corbin Page committed last weekend.
Stills hopes his legacy proves West Virginia football players can make it to the next level, playing for the top program in the state.
“We’re just as good as anybody else, there’s just not as many of us,” Stills said. “I’m proof there are ballers here, you’ve just got to find them. Just because we’re not from Florida or Texas or California doesn’t mean we can’t play ball. We’ve got Randy Moss, a Hall-of-Famer out of West Virginia. Ryan Switzer, we have a lot of people. I want to be one of those people they name also, that’s my dream.”
Brown agreed, and it’s clear he’s taken the same approach in recruiting.
“Darius is great proof that this state produces high-level players,” he said. “If you look at him, he’s been Defensive Lineman of the Year in the Big 12, he’s been on All-American teams, he’s got a tremendous amount of recognition.”
Smith named All-American
Like Stills, WVU safety Tykee Smith was named an AP All-American on Monday.
He is tied for the team lead in interceptions (2), second in tackles for loss (8) and tied for second in tackles (61) and solo tackles (33). He finished with six or more tackles in the final eight games of the season, including a season-high nine tackles against TCU. He had two tackles for loss against Kansas and Texas Tech and registered an interception that led WVU to the double-overtime victory against Baylor
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