Bucs rookie LB Josh Keyes making name for himselfGreg Auman, Times Staff Writer Wednesday, June 17, 2015 3:51pm
Undrafted rookie linebacker Josh Keyes had been under the radar enough that Bucs teammates that did know him didn't necessarily know how to pronounce his last name, which rhymes with "wise." After a leaping interception in Tuesday's minicamp practice, coach Lovie Smith made a point to make sure he was recognized -- with the correct pronunciation -- as the team reviewed tape from drills."He made an incredible catch. Coach was like 'Does anybody know who Josh Keyes is?'" defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said Wednesday, asked for an undrafted rookie who has impressed him so far. "He said 'If you know who Josh Keyes is, stand up.' Some guys stood up, and he's like 'Josh, stand up.' He's in the room and nobody even noticed him. Coach's point was you need to make plays to be known. Yesterday he made such a spectacular interception that now, when I see him today, I'm like 'What's up, Josh?'"Keyes didn't become a starter at Boston College until his senior year, but he made a splash last fall, getting 11.5 tackles for loss (including four sacks) and 63 total tackles as the team's starting strongside linebacker. With two other backup linebackers (Larry Dean and Quinton Alston) held out with injuries, he's made the most of the opportunity to work with the second-team defense."It's good to validate what we've seen with a play like that," Smith said. "For a linebacker coming in as an undrafted free agent, he didn't know how to pronounce his name at first. Now K-E-Y-E-S is Keyes to me. Haven't seen him in pads, so anxious to see that."
