The Kansas City Chiefs made another addition to their secondary to close out the 2020 NFL Draft on Saturday afternoon, trading into the seventh round to select Tulane cornerback BoPete Keyes at No. 237 overall.
Here are five things to know about Keyes.
1. He was a two-year starter at Tulane
Keyes started 23 of 24 games over the last two seasons for the Green Wave, racking up 85 tackles, 18 passes defensed and two picks in that span. He earned All-AAC Honorable Mention recognition as a senior, notching a career-high 47 tackles.
The six-foot-one, 202-pound Keyes is the Chiefs' third selection from a Louisiana school, joining LSU's Clyde Edwards-Helaire (No. 32) and Louisiana Tech's L'Jarius Sneed (No. 138).
2. While he goes by BoPete, his given name is Thakarius
Keyes' grandmother, who tragically passed away when he was young, was the first to call her grandson by the nickname "BoPete." The name stuck, and all these years later, it might as well be his first name.
According to Keyes, who spoke with the media via web call following the draft, he only hears the name "Thakarius" if he's in trouble.
3. Keyes was a basketball-first athlete for much of his life until his junior year of high school
A star on the hardwood, Keyes didn't start playing football at Laurel High School in Laurel, Mississippi until his junior year, but he picked things up quick. Keyes earned First Team All-State honors and helped lead Laurel to a state title, though he still didn't garner much interest amongst college programs until Tulane offered him a scholarship late.
Four years later, he's headed to the NFL.
4. He considers Chiefs' safety Tyrann Mathieu as one of his role models
Mathieu is a legend in Louisiana, so it's no surprise that Keyes mentioned the Honey Badger as one of the players he models his game after. Here's what he told a Louisiana radio station earlier this month:
"I watch a lot of videos of old veterans such as Darrelle Revis and Richard Sherman," he said. "I watch a lot of Jamal Adams and Tyrann Mathieu too."
Now he'll have his chance to learn from Mathieu firsthand.
5. Keyes didn't let personal tragedy hinder his NFL dreams
Keyes was just 10 years old when he lost his mother, and six years later, he lost his grandmother – who he was living with at the time - to a house fire. Though despite enduring unthinkable tragedy, Keyes persevered toward his dreams. He went on to move in with his best friend and focused on sports to get through the difficult times.
That unwavering mentality helped land him in the NFL, something he believes would have made his mom and grandmother proud.
"They would be extremely proud," Keyes told the New Orleans Times-Picayune prior to the draft. "They would have been proud just for me going to school and sticking it out. None of my family really went to college, so that's a big deal."
For more on Keyes' inspirational story, check out this article.
