MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — In an offseason unlike any that Darius Stills has ever experienced, time off the football field was still time well spent.
“You can’t really get in football shape unless you keep playing football,” Stills said. “But overall, I did all my training when we were quarantined. I handled all my stuff properly, so I came back ready to go.”
Entering his second year under head coach Neal Brown, Stills says he and his teammates are further ahead on the subtle details of the game, rather than just focusing on being in the right spots at the right time.
“Last year with new schemes and new everything, you can’t get into the mental part as much as the playing. But as this year has gone on, the coaches really harp on the mental part of it. Once you know what to do the first year, applying your mental skills to it just makes you a better football player in general.
“Getting off blocks, hand placement, what gap you are supposed to be in, they are really harping on the mental part of the game.”
The Fairmont Senior High School graduate has developed into an NFL prospect throughout the course of his WVU career. He was named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year this fall. That followed up a junior season where he racked up 7 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss.
“I have grown up thinking all the stuff you have accomplished can get taken away from you just like that. Being humble is one of the things I focus on because no one really likes a guy who is cocky about stuff he has accomplished.”
Stills will be surrounded by returning veterans on the defensive line. Jeffrey Pooler, Dante Stills and Jordan Jefferson are back. Transfers Bryce Brand and Quay Mays will be in the mix as well.
“Our D-lineman are athletic enough so that we can play more than one position at a time. Me getting the reps at 3-technique and then Quay and Jordan getting the reps at 1-technique, it is helping all of us out a lot. If someone goes down, we are not panicking because we know we all can play the positions. It has been effective. We have been getting in the backfield and getting to the quarterback. It is going to be a show to see.”
At least for the first game of the season against Eastern Kentucky, the Mountaineers will take the field in front of family members only. Stills says that will be yet another mental test for the team to face.
“It is going to be tough for some people. But at the end of the day, you have to bring your own juice. The fans affect the game because people are excited that the fans are there but this is what really separates you now. You have to bring your own juice and your own energy. That people that don’t bring their own energy are going to get exposed.
“Obviously, 60,000 people screaming your name is a good time. But in order to get that eventually in the season, you have to sacrifice things we have now. So we have to just play football.”
With the season set to begin in less than two weeks, Stills is doing all he can to make sure teammates remain disciplined off the field to make sure the season can continue in the middle of a pandemic.
“The coaches know it is hard being our age and this stuff happens. During college, you want to experience stuff that is outside of football. But it is all about sacrifice. We are all getting to play football and our sacrifices have gotten us to this point. I tell my guys to be careful on the weekends and whenever we have off days, tell them to be careful and make the right decisions because one night isn’t worth the whole season getting canceled.”