Keels Struggles Through Personal Tragedy, Looks For Fresh Start

[Mavric]

Joe Keels heard the buzz last season. He read it online. He was a bust, folks said.


Bust. The word ate at him.

"It kind of pissed me off a little bit when I'd read things like that," he said with a wide grin (he grins easily). "I'll make them eat their words this fall."

The Nebraska senior defensive end was upbeat last week, a contrast to last spring. He was depressed. Lost. He had his reasons. Boy, did he have his reasons.

Shortly before the third practice last spring, Keels learned his father had been killed — two bullets to the neck — back in Keels' former hometown, Chicago. Then, the day before Joe returned from spring break, he learned his brother also was the victim of a deadly shooting.

"That contributed to me having weight issues," said the 6-foot-3 Keels, who dipped to 230 pounds, about 25 below where he wanted to play. "It was the depression. I didn't want to eat. It was pretty hard."

"I was always a worker," he added. "It hurt me last season, not being at the level I was used to playing at."

Ranked among the nation's top 30 junior college players in 2013, Keels appeared in only five games last season and had one tackle, against Fresno State. Yes, disappointing numbers. Bust. But is a kid really a bust when he endures what Keels did?

That's the past, though. Keels begins anew. Clean slate. He has a chance to be a mainstay in the defensive end rotation. He likes Nebraska's new defense, new coaching staff.

LJS

 

[True2tRA]

Best of luck to him. Last year definitely had to have been a hard year for this guy. That's a lot for anyone to deal with.

I couldn't read the article, but from what I'm hearing Keels is the number three DE on the depth chart? From what Sean Callahan said the other day, he made it clear that Gangwish and McMullen are 100% locks to start on the ends.

 

[Redux]

I'll take all the depth we can get. Sounds like he is focused on being a contributor any way possible.

Horrible stuff to go through, stay strong. Hope he can make some noise this year and have a good season.

 

[ColoNoCoHusker]

Keels has a "high ceiling" if he can find his motivation & focus. It speaks highly of his character that he stayed in school & eligible through the personal tragedies. That's a lot to go through. Glad he's still here & hope he has great season on & off the field... He's due...

 

[okaive]

Nothing but props for this kid. Anyone else most likely would have quit school and had gone back home after the tragedies he experienced.

Hope to see him out on the field every game.

 

[True2tRA]

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[Ric Flair]

Hard to imagine what he's been through. It's to his credit that he's persevered. Hopefully the University is helping to get him the help he needs to get through it. And here's hoping he has a breakout year. He sounds like a good kid.