Dante Stills facts for kids
| No. 55 – Arizona Cardinals | |||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | December 14, 1999 Fairmont, West Virginia, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 286 lb (130 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Fairmont Senior (WV) | ||||||||
| College: | West Virginia (2018–2022) | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2023 / Round: 6 / Pick: 213 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Dante Stills is an American football player. He plays as a defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals. This team is part of the National Football League (NFL). Dante was born on December 14, 1999. Before playing professionally, he was a college football star. He played for the West Virginia Mountaineers.
College Football Career
Dante Stills started his college football journey in 2018. He played his first game as a freshman against Tennessee. In his first year, he made 16 tackles. He also had three sacks and forced two fumbles. These impressive plays earned him recognition. Both The Athletic and ESPN named him a Freshman All-American. This means he was one of the best new players in college football.
In 2019, Dante played in 12 games. He finished the season with 24 tackles. He also forced a fumble and broke up a pass. His strong performance led to him being named to the Second Team All-Big 12 Conference.
The 2020 season was shorter than usual. Dante started all 10 games. This was his last year playing alongside his brother. He ended his junior season with 35 tackles. He also recovered one fumble and blocked a kick. After the season, he received many honors. He was named All-Big 12 Conference First Team by Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Phil Steele. The Associated Press named him to the All-Big 12 Conference Second Team. He also received an honorable mention as a PFF All-American.
Dante decided to stay at West Virginia for another season in 2021. He chose not to enter the NFL draft that year. He was also named a preseason All-American before the season started.
Professional Football Career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+1⁄2 in (1.92 m) |
286 lb (130 kg) |
32+3⁄8 in (0.82 m) |
9+5⁄8 in (0.24 m) |
4.85 s | 1.72 s | 2.81 s | 4.61 s | 7.38 s | 28.5 in (0.72 m) |
9 ft 5 in (2.87 m) |
26 reps | |
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The Arizona Cardinals selected Dante Stills in the 2023 NFL draft. He was the 213th player chosen overall. This happened in the sixth round of the draft. In his first year as a professional, he played in 15 games. He started in eight of those games. As a rookie, he recorded 47 tackles. He also had 3.5 sacks, showing his skill on the field.
Family and Personal Life
Dante Stills comes from a family of talented football players. His brother, Darius Stills, also played with him. They were both on the Mountaineers defensive line in college. Their father, Gary Stills, was also a star player at West Virginia University. He then played in the NFL for 10 years. Dante's uncle, Ken Stills, and his cousin, Kenny Stills, also played in the NFL. Football truly runs in the Stills family!
