Garrett Keeney '21 Recruiting Profile

I have been paying football since age 6.  I come from a football family; my father played at UNC with Lawrence Taylor and has coached H.S. football for many years.  It has been a goal of mine for many years to play and excel at the college level.  During the off seasons I have worked out very hard in the weight room and as a result have gotten bigger, stronger and faster.  I want to play college football on a scholarship and I want to be a main contributor to the team, while maintaining solid grades in school.  My passion for football is my own; my father has not forced me to play football, and the sport has come very naturally to me.  

I think what makes me different from other recruits are the challenges I have experienced.  My oldest sister was diagnosed with leukemia at age 16 (I was 5 years old).   This was very hard on our family,  and was quite scary for me.  She almost died, but fortunately survived and is now 27 and cancer free.  The other family challenge we have is my older brother is autistic.  This has been, and continues to be, a challenge for my family and for me because although I'm the youngest of the 4 children, I must sometimes act like the older brother when it comes to him and his behavior.  He doesn't act like a normal 19 year old.  I have learned, and continue to learn, ways to better handle our differences and to make our relationship better.  But it has not been easy.  From these events, I have learned how to stay positive and functioning with imperfect situations.