Former Chiefs LB Gary Stills Drafted by Las Vegas UFL Team
The upstart United Football League is holding it's 24 round draft tonight and the yet-to-be-named Las Vegas franchise selected none other than former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker and special teams specialist (Hey, it's better than guru) Gary Stills.
Stills is a former third round draft pick of the Chiefs in the 1999 draft. He played with the team until 2005 after which he had a two year stint in Baltimore and one year in St. Louis.
In seven seasons in Kansas City, the former West Virginia alum appeared in 88 games with just one start amassing 119 tackles and 7.5 sacks. He managed his lone Pro Bowl appearance in 2003 based on his status as one of the best special teams coverage men in the game.
Of course, something else happened in that 2003 season. Let me paint the picture for you if you don't remember....
[PT went a little crazy and mixed up his Chiefs memories. Fixed...Chris]
The Chiefs were sitting on a 8-0 record playing the then 3-5 Cleveland Browns. Dante Hall, if you'll remember, was electric this season eventually tying the NFL record for kick and punt returns for touchdown. The Cleveland game gave Hall the opportunity to break the NFL record for kick returns for a touchdown in a single season.
After a Cleveland touchdown, Hall receives a kick and breaks the initial wave of defenders at which point most assumed he was gone. The Chiefs had blockers and when Hall got into the open, no one was going to touch him.
Enter Gary Stills.
Stills is leading the way for Hall as they break mid-field. One man to beat and Hall is gone, the Chiefs have the lead and the momentum.
Wait a minute...did Gary Stills just inexplicably just stop blocking for Dante Hall?
A celebratory and apparently moronic Gary Stills lets Cleveland defender Chris Crocker close in on Hall and makes an ankle tackle, stopping him short of the goal line.
If you'll recall (I can't find a specific YouTube video of this return but if you jump ahead to the 2:00 mark in this highlight reel you'll see the play), the missed block was blatantly obvious. One of the best special teamers in the game and he blew it. The Chiefs ended up killing the Browns 41 to 20 but Hall never got his single season kick return record to himself.
I did find some humorous irony to go along with this story. Here is Gary Stills talking about Dante Hall in December 2002:
"There've been any number of times we could have broken one this year. But there always seemed to be one guy who missed a block or (Hall) didn't make the right read."
Like you Gary.
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17 comments
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Comments
I was thinking this was the Bengals game we lost to end the 9-0 streak
But it was 9th victory, not the first lost.
by Joel Thorman on Jun 18, 2009 8:31 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Stills is/was easily one of the best special teams guys in the league.
I hope Corey Mays is half as good(or better).
by GenericBrand on Jun 18, 2009 9:28 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Yep
He was great. Just not on that play.
by Chris Thorman on Jun 18, 2009 11:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
where did you find out
the draft result of the ufl. i would like to know other players who have been drafted !!!
by julien_55_49 on Jun 18, 2009 10:21 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
The tackle at the 2:00 min mark was at the 15 yard line...
not the goal line
by ravenhawk on Jun 18, 2009 10:48 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Short of the goal line
is what Primetime said in his post. The 15 yard line qualifies for that.
by Chris Thorman on Jun 18, 2009 11:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Gotcha... when I hear short of the goal line I think within 5 yards.
by ravenhawk on Jun 19, 2009 12:02 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah you're probably right
Could have used a better phrase there.
by Chris Thorman on Jun 19, 2009 12:14 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dante was so fun to watch
We should have never traded him, I know people say he lost a step but he still played better the last two years than what we have had. He could loose 5 steps and still be better than most.
Herm is gone things are better with that one move!!
by bringbacktheglory on Jun 18, 2009 10:57 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Now I know where to find him
He still has my tool box. True story.
I could get more sacks with my sack
by ArrowSpread on Jun 19, 2009 12:04 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I could get more sacks with my sack
by ArrowSpread on Jun 19, 2009 12:28 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
You guys should note
last years reserve safety, Oliver Celestin, was drafted by the New York team
by KansasCityShuffle on Jun 19, 2009 2:06 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
It didn't
look like he intentionally did it… It looked like to me that he might have thought that Hall was more to the right of him…Oh well, Hall doesnt need records…he was a beast.
by Wrestler189s on Jun 19, 2009 2:20 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I hate when this story gets brought up
“I mean, yeah, he was really good, but, man did he suck it up on that play”
I was screaming at the TV when it happened, but Dante doesn’t get those 1st 4 returns without Stills out there.
Plus, Hester would end up smashing the record anyways.
by stag on Jun 19, 2009 8:45 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

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