Dante Stills Discusses Why He Skipped the 2021 NFL Draft to Return to WVU
West Virginia defensive lineman Dante Stills announced on December 17th, prior to the team's bowl game, that he would be returning for his senior year. Coming into the season, it wasn't a part of Stills' plan but throughout the season he knew that it would be in his best interest to return to school which is why he didn't really flirt with the idea of leaving for the NFL this year.
"My main goal going into my junior year was pretty much to leave," Stills said. "I wanted to be a three-year and out guy. I wanted to be that dude that's a boss and is a dude that is able to go three and out but throughout the season I wasn't performing at the level I thought I could. People thought I did good but my stats weren't showing it which is kind of a big deal. I just felt like I didn't do it as much as I needed to to be at that level. That's why I thought it was just best for me to stay another year and work so I'm able to be at that level next year."
If Stills would have entered this year's draft, he would have likely gone somewhere late on day three but his stock could soar over the next year depending on how his senior season goes. There's a ton of room for improvement but he does have a lot to build on. This past season Stills registered 31 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and one blocked kick in just nine games.
Dante will take care of what he has to on the field but this year, it's going to be a little different as his brother Darius is off to the NFL. The two have played side by side for pretty much their entire lives with the exception of the one year jump to high school and college.
"He's here right now but once he leaves it's definitely going to be different. I've been so used to living with him and being around him my whole life but I know and he knows that it's a business."
With Darius still in Morgantown, it gives Dante the opportunity to see what the draft process is really like before he gets to go through it a year from now.
"What I've noticed throughout this whole thing is really just patience. It's all about controlling what you can control because, after Pro Day, you have no control of when you're going to get picked and what teams will be interested in you. So right now, I'm just learning from him to be patient, and if people call make sure you answer correctly, make sure you answer with honesty. Every day he's talking to people so I kind of just pick his brain and I listen sometimes. I'm hoping I'm in his position one day."
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