Final respects paid to ex-UNLV football player Kenny Keys

It was Sept. 12, 2015, a sultry Saturday night, and UNLV’s football home opener against 13th-ranked UCLA was heading toward its predictable finish. The Bruins were ahead 37-0 and leads to game stories and columns already were being written in the Sam Boyd Stadium press box as deadline approached.

I remember looking up to see No. 44 in all black running down the field with the football.

It was Kenny Keys, the Rebels’ lanky free safety from San Diego. He had intercepted a pass from Jerry Neuheisel, Rick’s son, and it appeared he might return it for a touchdown. Alas, the Rebels were whistled for a personal foul on the runback, moving the ball from the UCLA 11-yard line to the 41, and UNLV eventually turned the ball over on downs.

It was the first thing I thought of when Kenny Keys died July 26. The Clark County coroner’s office said it was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 25.

Any mention of what a profound tragedy that is seems redundant.

There was a memorial service for Kenny Keys on Tuesday.

Because so many had indicated they would attend, it had to be moved from a funeral chapel to a banquet hall. Among the estimated 300 paying respect were UNLV coach Tony Sanchez and what appeared to be the majority of his players.

Ties that bind

“The thing you come to realize as you coach and go through life is these kids do as much for you as you do for them,” Sanchez said.

“That’s the beauty of what we do. We talk about it all the time; there really is a lot of love, a lot of family and lifelong relationships, and you see that reflected here today. What was achieved and not achieved doesn’t make a difference on a day like today. What was achieved was love, camaraderie and brotherhood, and we’ve got to keep that in perspective.”

Kenny Keys’ open casket sat among four pedestals of flowers and a potted plant in front of the hall. Red and white roses were on the off-white casket, which was bathed in pink-purple light emanating from ornamental silver trees.

His mother, Syvonne McNair, his aunt Lillian Keys and brother Kendal Keys, a standout wide receiver for the Rebels, spoke poignant words. David Wedley, the UNLV football academic adviser who raised $21,900 in nine days to pay for the funeral, told a story about how Kenny would show up to discuss his grades dressed as Wesley Snipes, and that made everybody laugh.

Bishop J.L. Wright added remarks intended to comfort, and also gave a football lesson about the many responsibilities of the free safety that probably would have brought a big smile to Tony Sanchez’s face on another day.

Not everybody who wanted to be at the memorial could attend.

“I was on the track team at UNLV the same time Kenny was playing football,” wrote Juliet Summers-Hernandez on Wedley’s GoFundMe page. “I wasn’t the closest with him, but he had an amazing energy and spirit. He touched my heart and so many others in a positive way.”

Former UNLV quarterback Johnny Stanton, now listed as a fullback on the Minnesota Vikings’ depth chart, said via Twitter that Kenny Keys was one of the guys he looked up to when he transferred from Nebraska and junior college.

At a time such as this, which leaves so many searching for answers and lacking for words, Stanton instead audibled to a heartfelt suggestion.

“Please reach out to people you haven’t in a while and tell them you love them.”

Last line of defense

There was such a turnout for the celebration of love and respect for Mr. Kenneth “Kenny” Earl Keys Jr., as it said atop the religious card, that the Rebels’ bus had to be moved to the auxiliary parking lot behind the strip mall to make room for additional cars.

As the players turned right toward the bus after the service, a silver hearse turned left and backed up to the door of the banquet hall with its rear doors open.

The dichotomy of the scene was heartbreaking.

Many of the Rebels trudged toward the bus with bowed heads. A few used a souvenir card from the memorial with their former teammate’s picture on front to shield their eyes from the searing afternoon sun.

As Bishop Wright had pointed out with enthusiasm, the free safety is the last line of defense, and it appeared Kenny Keys still had the Rebels covered.

Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow

@ronkantowski on Twitter.