As Washington now serves as his fourth NFL home in as many years, new Redskins quarterback Case Keenum relishes every opportunity that is given to him. After producing historic numbers in his five years at the University of Houston, he surprisingly went undrafted in 2012, serving as a pre-cursor to his gritty NFL journey thus far.
Learn about the newest Washington Redskin with these facts on quarterback Case Keenum beyond the game of football:
Deep In The Heart Of Texas
Like Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy, Keenum grew up in Texas — nearly 20 miles away from McCoy's hometown of Tuscola, in fact.
Keenum, again like McCoy, stayed in Texas for college. At Houston, he became the NCAA's all-time leader in passing yards, touchdowns and completions.
Playing For More: Trust Beyond What You Can See
Last fall, Keenum published his autobiography detailing his unique stories from every stage of his life, starting out as a ball boy for his father's college team in West Texas, and going on to win a state title in high school. He also relays the story of a devastating knee injury that almost derailed his football career, but helped him get closer to the woman who would soon become his wife.
Throughout his story, Keenum also explains how being a Christian helped him navigate the winding path to success. No matter the obstacle that has been placed in front of him, he believes God has a plan for him. He plays football for the same reason he wrote this book: "To glorify God and to help others who face adversity in their everyday life."
It Runs In The Family
Keenum's mother Susan was a three-sport athlete and letter winner during her college career, and his father, Steve, got his start playing as an offensive lineman at McMurry University before becoming the school's head coach and athletic trainer. He worked as a head coach at Sul Ross State in Alpine, Texas, was offensive coordinator at Tarleton State and was the offensive line coach at Hardin-Simmons.
In 2005, however, Keenum's father left coaching and took over as the Area Director of the Big Country Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
The Last Quarterback To Start For the St. Louis Rams
It'll be the answer to a trivia question some day.
The Rams left the city of St. Louis following the 2015 season, heading back to Los Angeles. In the final home game ever played at the Edward Jones Dome, Keenum became the last quarterback to ever start a home game in St. Louis.
He also had one of the better games of his career that day against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, compiling a 158.0 quarterback rating, which is 0.3 points away from perfect.
Keenum completed 14-of-17 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns, and the Rams won the game 31-23.
'Minneapolis Miracle'
Recruited by just one college, undrafted, and released three times, Keenum has overcome every obstacle to become a successful starting quarterback.
In 2017, Keenum captured America's imagination by leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 13-3 record and an NFC North title. His game-winning touchdown in the final seconds of their divisional playoff game against the Saints, dubbed the "Minneapolis Miracle," made Keenum a part of NFL history.
