It’s a moment Donta Stuart and the Waco La Vega faithful will never forget. The Pirates were tied with Liberty Hill at halftime of the 2018 Class 4A Division I state championship game inside AT&T Stadium. With the Pirates set to receive the kickoff to open the second half, Stuart approached head coach Don Hyde with a question.

“That’s one of my favorite memories in life,” Stuart said. “I asked Coach Hyde at halftime if I could return the kick. He believed in me, and then I returned it for a touchdown. That was such a surreal moment to play in AT&T Stadium, having watched the Dallas Cowboys on TV growing up.”

Stuart’s 94-yard kick return to open the second half propelled Waco La Vega to a 35-21 victory. The moment was so special that our late Editor-in-Chief and La Vega graduate, Dave Campbell, penned a piece about the game and that moment.

Despite making 60 tackles, breaking up 23 passes, and intercepting five other pass attempts, the 5-foot-10, 175-pound Stuart only held two offers to play college football as coaches repeatedly reminded him that he was undersized. Both offers were from Lone Star Conference teams - Angelo State and UTPB.

“UTPB was a newer football program, and they told me during recruiting that I had a chance to compete for playing time right away,” Stuart said. “I felt like that was the best chance for me to play my first year.”

During his freshman campaign, Stuart made the most of his chance to play immediately, registering 63 tackles and setting a program record with three interceptions, including one pick-six.

Stuart intercepted five passes during the pandemic-shortened Spring 2021 season and saw his season shortened by injuries. However, he returned to form in 2022, defending 11 passes, forcing two fumbles, blocking a kick, and intercepting three passes while returning one for a touchdown. 

The two-time honorable mention All-Lone Star Conference selection entered the transfer portal following the 2022 season after the firing of then-UTPB head coach Justin Carrigan.

Once again, Stuart was reminded that he was considered undersized. This time, he held offers from six FCS schools, including Southern Utah, Grambling State, and Tarleton, as well as a plethora of NCAA Division II schools.

“We’re well aware the quality of players in the Lone Star Conference, and transfers from there bring a lot of value to our team,” Tarleton head coach Todd Whitten said. “He was a guy that made lots of big plays and seemed to have a knack for the ball. He’s what we call a football player. He’s undersized, but our success is because our staff is good at evaluating players, and Dante was the kind of guy we make a living with around here.”

Stuart had played against Tarleton inside Memorial Stadium in Stephenville as a freshman at UTPB, but this wasn’t the same campus he had seen four years earlier. Since his last visit, the stadium’s seating capacity had tripled, and the locker rooms and facilities had been completely remodeled.

“I was impressed all the way around,” Stuart said. “The campus grew; the facilities and the locker room are bigger and better than when I first played here. There’s a big difference between playing at UTPB and playing at Tarleton.”

After spending most of the 2023 season as a backup, Stuart became the starting safety this season. He leads the team in tackles (82), is second in solo tackles (40), has two interceptions, three pass breakups, and two fumble recoveries. While he’s not a vocal leader, his actions carry significant weight with his teammates.

“He’s real aggressive and not afraid to get downhill and stick his face in there. He’s as tough as he can be and a really good football player,” Whitten said. “He’s not very big, but he runs well, has good cover skills, and has a knack for making plays. He stays banged up with how hard he plays but never misses game time. He almost refuses not to be ready to play every week.”

The Texans have experienced unprecedented success, earning the No. 13 seed in the FCS playoffs in their first season of eligibility after completing a four-year transition to NCAA Division I.

“We had a team last year that could’ve made the playoffs, but those seniors didn’t get a chance to play because we weren’t eligible yet,” Stuart said. “It makes us go harder for those guys who didn’t have a chance to experience the playoffs.”

Tarleton miscues led to an early deficit in their first FCS playoff game in program history before the team dispatched Drake 43-29, earning the Texans a trip to meet No. 4 seed South Dakota at 2 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+. Some betting lines have the Texans as three-touchdown underdogs.

“We’re definitely underdogs, and we know that, but we had a really good workout today, and I think our guys will be ready to play well,” Whitten said. “It’s a great opportunity for our program and our players. We’re anxious to get up there and see how we play.”

One area of focus for Tarleton this week will be handling the noise inside the DakotaDome.

“It’s hard to prepare for the noise because it’s about three times louder than an outdoor stadium, so it’s certainly a factor that gives them a homefield advantage,” Whitten said. “We have music blaring at practice, and it’s not the same, but that’s one of the reasons we use a rhythmic snap count in hopes the noise won’t have as big an effect on us.”

Stuart hopes to earn an opportunity to continue playing after Tarleton’s playoff run. Some NFL scouts project him to play the nickel position. But Stuart and the Texans still have business to accomplish this season. Is there a possibility we could see Stuart return a kickoff for the Texans if they are tied at halftime?

“I found out about that return (in the state title game) and asked him if he wanted to return for us, and he said he’s ready if we need him,” Whitten said before bestowing the ultimate compliment. “That’s just who he is – a wonderful young man always ready to do whatever is needed to help the team win.”