Kenton Keith facts for kids
| No. 36, 28, 21 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | July 14, 1980 Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 198 lb (90 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Omaha Benson (Omaha, Nebraska) | ||||||||||||
| College: | New Mexico State (1998–2001) | ||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2003 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Kenton Jermaine Keith, born on July 14, 1980, is a former American football player. He was a talented running back. He played for teams in both the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the National Football League (NFL). He also played college football at New Mexico State.
Keith was also a member of the New York Jets of the NFL. He played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the CFL. Later, he joined the Omaha Nighthawks in the United Football League (UFL).
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Growing Up and High School Football
Kenton Keith grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. He played high school football at Omaha Benson High School. He was an amazing player, especially when carrying the ball. In one year, he averaged over 28 yards every time he ran with the ball. The next year, he still averaged more than 18 yards per carry. Kenton will soon be honored in his high school's Hall of Fame. This is because he broke the school's rushing record in just two years of playing.
College Football Journey
After high school, Kenton Keith went to New Mexico State University. He continued to be a strong running back there. Over four seasons, he ran for a total of 2,134 yards. In his junior year, he was one of the best in the country. He led the nation by averaging 8.5 yards every time he ran with the ball. That's a lot of ground covered!
Playing Professional Football
Kenton Keith played for several professional football teams. He spent time in both the CFL and the NFL.
Saskatchewan Roughriders (CFL)
Kenton Keith first joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2001. This team is part of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played four seasons with them. During his time, he ran for over 3,800 yards. He gained more than 1,000 yards in two of those seasons. He also caught 52 passes and scored eight touchdowns from receptions in 2003.
His best CFL season was in 2004. He gained 1,154 yards in just 14 games. In the spring of 2004, he briefly signed with the New York Jets. He then returned to the CFL. In 2006, he was named a West Division All-Star.
Indianapolis Colts (NFL)
Kenton Keith signed with the Indianapolis Colts in early 2007. This team is in the National Football League (NFL). He was the second-string running back. He played behind the main running back, Joseph Addai.
Keith had his first game where he ran for over 100 yards with the Colts. This happened in a 33–17 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As Addai's backup, Keith ran for 533 yards. He also scored four touchdowns that season.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats (CFL)
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats signed Kenton Keith on September 22, 2008. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury to his LCL (a knee ligament). Because of this injury, he was later released from the team.
Omaha Nighthawks (UFL)
Kenton Keith was signed by the Omaha Nighthawks on June 10, 2011. This was during a time when the NFL had a "lock-out." A lock-out means players and team owners can't agree, so games are stopped. The Nighthawks team later stopped playing altogether.
Family Connections
Kenton's father, Percy Keith, also played college football. He played for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 1976 to 1980. Kenton Keith is also related to other NFL running backs. He is cousins with former NFL player Roger Craig. He is also cousins with current NFL running back Breece Hall.
