UNLV’s Kendal Keys practices 1 week after brother’s suicide
The familiar No. 84 in the white jersey lined up in the left slot Friday, but there was nothing routine about UNLV senior wide receiver Kendal Keys going through drills on the first day of training camp.
He practiced just a week after his brother, Kenny, fatally shot himself. Kenny Keys, 25, was a UNLV safety from 2012 to 2016. His death was ruled a suicide by the Clark County Coroner’s office.
UNLV has not made Kendal Keys available to the media, but Rebels football coach Tony Sanchez addressed the situation after practice at Rebel Park.
“Kenny was one of our brothers,” Sanchez said. “We loved him. We miss him dearly.
“That’s one great thing about football. It’s about more than winning and losing. It’s about family. It’s about developing young men. It’s about a brotherhood. They’ve all wrapped their arms around (Kendal). It’s been good to see him have that support network around him.”
Hoping for a waiver
Sophomore cornerback Alex Perry is on UNLV’s roster, but whether he plays this season is another question.
Perry transferred after one season at Arizona State, meaning he typically would have to sit out a year under NCAA rules. UNLV has submitted a request to the NCAA for a waiver to play Perry, a former four-star recruit from Bishop Gorman.
“You never know,” Sanchez said. “You send that over to compliance, and they’ll call me with a yea or nay, but he’s here for a long time, and he’s got three years of eligibility to play even if he doesn’t play this year. So getting a guy who was a four-star (recruit), a local kid coming back and playing for us, that’s a big deal.”
Odds and ends
Linebacker Spencer Katoanga was dismissed for an unspecified team rules violation. … Offensive lineman Daniel Schoene left the team. … UNLV practiced in helmets only and will do so again Saturday. The Rebels go into half pads Sunday and Monday and full pads Tuesday. Practices are closed to the public.
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Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.