Stanley attended Verona Area High School and was a student and a letterman in football, basketball, and track.

The Wisconsin State Journal named Stanley Wisconsin's high school football player of the year in 2002, after he amassed more than 2,000 yards rushing in his senior season at Verona Area High School.'

He made his regular season debut two days later against the Green Bay Packerswith a 19-yard kickoff return.

Stanley spent the first four games of the 2008 regular season on the Rams' practice squad before being signed to the active roster on October 10.

The team waived safety Brannon Condren to make room for Stanley on the roster.