Stokes attended Mattie T. Blount High School, where he practiced football and track.
As sophomore in 1964, he was a backup running back, on a roster where the starter was Gale Sayers.
Against the University of Arizona, he set the school and tied the Big Eight Conference single-game receiving record with 9 catches, totaling 139 yards.
As a senior, he transferred to Northern Arizona University, where he was named the starter at wide receiver.
[8] He was re-signed by the Dallas Cowboys and assigned once again to the Oklahoma City Plainsmen of the Professional Football League of America (PFLA).