Western Colorado University Athletics

T.W. Stites came to Western in 1993 after graduating from Fowler High School in Fowler, Colorado earlier that spring. At FHS, Stites was twice named to the All-State First Team Defense, and in 1992 was named the 2A Player of the Year by the Rocky Mountain News.
 
Stites helped FHS football to runner-up finishes at state as a freshman and sophomore, but led the Grizzlies to undefeated state title campaigns as a junior and senior.
 
At Western, Stites played linebacker alongside Mountaineer Sports Hall of Fame inductee Shane Carwin. These two helped the Mountaineer defense become one of the most feared in the RMAC and the nation.
 
He was an All-RMAC First Team selection as a senior and a Second Team selection as a junior.
 
During his tenure at Western, Stites helped guide the Mountaineers to three RMAC titles and two NCAA Playoff appearances.
 
"T.W. was a great student of the game as well as a team leader," MSHOF Coach Duke Iverson said in his nomination letter. "T.W.'s senior season was a fitting climax to a great career with wins over UNC, who eventually won the national championship, the RMAC Championship and selection to play in the NCAA Division II National Playoffs."
 
While he helped his team towards titles, Stites' tackling ability left an indelible mark on the Western record book.
 
Stites recorded 384 tackles during his career, third most all-time in school history. The only two players with more, Josh Hotchkiss (504) and Pat Stewart (398), have also been inducted into the MSHOF. He also has the fifth most career tackles for a loss in school history with 39.
 
Stites recorded 22 tackles against Fort Hays State University in 1997, which ties for the most in a single game in program history. His five tackles for a loss against Colorado School of Mines in 1997 is tied for second most in a single game.
 
During the 1997 season, Stites' 155 tackles ranks second all-time, just ahead of his 154 tackles in 1996. He is also tied for the second most tackles for a loss in a season with 24 in 1997, and the seventh most sacks in a season with nine that same year.
 
Upon graduating from Western with a degree in business, Stites began a successful career in digital marketing analytics and currently resides in Evergreen, Colorado with his wife Kristi.