Leroy Keyes, gold standard of Purdue football, dies at 74
Leroy Keyes, a two-time consensus All-American running back and one of the greatest football players in Purdue history, died Thursday. He was 74.
He died at his home in West Lafayette, Ind., surrounded by his wife and children, the family said in a statement.
Keyes had been in poor health recently, suffering from congestive heart failure and a cancer recurrence. He previously had prostate cancer.
Keyes was third in the Heisman Trophy balloting in 1967 and was the runner-up to O.J. Simpson in 1968. But he wasn’t just a star at Purdue — he was an icon who excelled as a running back, defensive back and kickoff returner.
“This morning we lost a great friend and football brother, Leroy Keyes,” former Boilermakers and NFL quarterback Mark Herrmann wrote on Twitter. “He was a true Boilermaker legend, loved by all. We will miss his contagious smile and warm laugh. He joins a legion of Purdue fans and friends in heaven who can once again chant ‘Give the ball to Leroy!’”
After finishing his career as the school’s career leader in touchdowns (37), points (222) and all-purpose yards (3,757), the Philadelphia Eagles drafted Keyes with the third pick overall in 1969. Injuries forced him out of the NFL after just five seasons. He then spent 16 years as a desegregation specialist for the Philadelphia school district.
Back at Purdue, though, Keyes became the man all future Boilermakers stars would be measured against.
In 1987, as the program celebrated its 100th season, Keyes was selected as the Boilermakers’ greatest player. Some of his records stood for decades. Others still do.
Keyes’ averages of 6.6 yards per carry in 1967 and 5.88 over his career still top the Purdue charts. So do his 19 total touchdowns in 1967, when he was named the Big Ten’s MVP. In 1968, he became the first Purdue player to top the 1,000-yards rushing mark.