Howard Keys, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetHoward Keys
American football player
Date of Birth: 24-Jan-1935
Place of Birth: Orlando, Oklahoma, United States
Date of Death: 21-Oct-1971
Profession: American football player
Nationality: United States
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius 
About Howard Keys
- Howard Newton "Sonny" Keys was an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League from 1960 to 1965 with the Philadelphia Eagles.
- He was born in Orlando, Oklahoma, on January 24, 1935.
- Sonny was a star athlete for the Pioneers at Stillwater High School in Stillwater, Oklahoma where he played football, basketball, baseball and track.
- He was named to the Oklahoma All-State football team and played in the All Stars game and the Oil Bowl.
- His high school named Sonny "Mr.
- Pioneer." He played all positions on the line, including center.
- He went to college at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.
- At OSU, he was part of the Cowboys championship Blue Grass Bowl game which was broadcast by Howard Cosell.
- Sonny is described as a "mauling defender" in OSU's Heritage Hall Museum in historic Gallagher-Iba Arena.
- He was drafted in the 12th round of the 1959 NFL Draft.
- He was a part of Buck Shaw's 1960 NFL Championship season.
- He played five seasons with the Eagles and was known for knowing and playing every position on the offensive line.
- His family was featured in many local advertisements including Food Fair and a dairy distributorship.
- His teammate, Tommy McDonald, cited a tough Sonny Keys in the book "They Pay Me to Catch Footballs." In 1965, he joined Jerry Williams of the Calgary Stampeders as an assistant coach.
- After the Stampeders went to the Canadian Grey Cup, he chose to return to the NFL as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Browns under head coach Nick Skorich.
- After his death from complications of cancer in 1971, the Philadelphia Eagles dedicated their annual Christmas card to his memory.
- His outstanding scouting and recruiting abilities made his legacy live on in the NFL.
- For example, he brought fellow OSU alum, Jerry Sherk, to the Cleveland Browns, along with other top talents.
- As part of the 1960s world championship football team, Sonny was inducted into the city of Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.
Read more at Wikipedia