Boston College Athletics
Josh Keyes: The Journey to Alumni Stadium
September 30, 2014 | Football
By Grace Vickers
Senior linebacker Josh Keyes grew up in a town containing less people than the student population of Boston College. Ghent, N.Y., recorded a population of 5,402 in the 2010 census. His high school, Chatham Central, is home to less than 1,000 students and a football team of 45.
Keyes began playing Pop Warner football at age 11 after a few years of begging his mom, who was convinced that the sport was too dangerous. Through middle school and his first year at Chatham Central High, Keyes played football for fun, but his main focus was basketball. It wasn't until his sophomore year that he left basketball behind.
"I was moved onto the varsity team my second season and during that year I fell in love with football," Keyes said.
Keyes had dreams of playing in college, but he attended such a small school that he moved those thoughts to the back of his mind to avoid disappointment. That changed after a strong junior season and he began to believe that college coaches would notice that he was a standout athlete.
In his third high school season, Keyes - then a running back - rushed for 2,089 yards on 168 carries and scored 36 touchdowns and was the New York State Class C Player of the Year.
"Even though I went to a very, very small school, I thought that maybe the season would bring attention to me. My coaches thought that it would give me an opportunity to possibly play college football," recalled the New York native.
In pursuit of his goals, Keyes attended a Boston College football camp with a friend the summer before his senior year. He thought he would get some looks from some smaller schools that were in attendance; the thought of BC coaches noticing him never even crossed his mind.
"As it ended up, one of the BC coaches actually pulled me aside and asked me where I played and what my grades were. I was shocked. I didn't think that BC would have any interest in me at all," Keyes said.
Keyes sent his highlight tape to the BC coaching staff and a month later the Eagles offered him a scholarship. Playing football for a FBS school is something Keyes had strived for but when it actually became a reality, it was more than he could have ever imagined. Keyes has been the recipient of The Hayes Family Scholarship Fund for the past three seasons.
"Alot of people doubted that a kid from such a small school could make it to a major college football program. There were some teams and schools that skipped out on me because I played in the New York State Class C division [250 students/class]. Knowing that I had the ability to play at the highest level but was surpassed by teams because they thought I was playing against lesser competition was a major factor that I had to overcome on my way to Boston College," said Keyes of his journey.
Fast forward to Keyes' career at Boston College, where he transitioned to linebacker and played in nine games in each of his first two seasons, 11 his junior year and is now a starter for the Eagles in his last season.
"I try to give maximum effort all the time. I go out there and play my hardest. I just really focus on that because at the end of the day, even if you make a mistake, when you're running fast and moving around it can always help you and you can learn from it," Keyes said.
In BC's historic win over No. 9 Southern California on Sept. 13, Keyes matched his career high eight tackles. He shattered his previous career high with 5.5 tackles for loss and recorded a sack on the Trojans. He also earned ACC Linebacker of the week after his thrilling performance against the nationally-ranked team.
Keyes, a soft-spoken individual off the field is anything but when he throws on his pads and helmet. When asked what goes through his mind as he zeros in on a player, Keyes said, "The half second or second before it actually happens, it's a blank out, it kind of just happens. I think it's muscle memory by now."
As the senior approaches the halfway mark of his final season with the Eagles, he is determined to go out on a high note. He is confident that if the team plays the way that they did against USC they can play with anybody in the country. Keyes will get to test his theory as the Eagles still have a tough road ahead, facing seven ACC opponents, including defending national champions Florida State.
"I really want to help this team win games and I want to make sure I do my part and help the defense get better. I also always want to make sure I'm a good teammate, a good role model to the younger kids, and a good peer to the coaches," Keyes said.
Keyes is a spectacular example of a kid from a small town who worked his way to the top. The best part is that Keyes still has many, many more players to hone in on and make huge tackles. A word to the wise, if number 25 is headed your way, you're in for a hard hit.
