Travis Key: The Leading Role in a Script-Like Career

Oct. 11, 2007

By Matthew Benjamin, MSU Sports Information Student Assistant

Cool. Calm. Collected. This is who Travis Key is, and who he's always been. A soft-spoken, genuine, down-to-earth young man. A leader. And he's leading again this year, his senior year, as a captain after beginning his career as a freshman walk-on.

"I'm in the position I'm in right now because I work hard, I always set my goals high, set my expectations high and I expect to achieve them," explained Key. "I just feel like if I come out and work hard everyday I can eventually reach my goals."

Key was born and raised in a neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, Harvey, where he lived with his five other siblings; two brothers and three sisters. Sadly, one of his sisters recently passed away.

Growing up in Harvey wasn't always picturesque and the safety concerns eventually prompted a change in scenery. So during Key's junior year of high school his family moved to Three Rivers, Michigan.

Key began his football career in the fourth grade when he played Pop Warner against current teammate Terry Love. "Love is always saying he lit me up during those years, but I'd like to see some stat sheets," Key defended himself.

However, it wasn't until high school that he realized football was his true passion. "I was always a basketball guy," said Key. "Growing up in Chicago that is pretty much all we did. When I got to high school I realized that I wasn't going to grow anymore and football was starting to become my passion so I developed that defensive mindset to just go hit somebody and have fun doing it."

By the time high school graduation rolled around, Key had lettered in football, basketball and track and field. It was now clear, though, that of the three he would pursue football long-term. It was also at this time that he received Division III school offers for football. As luck would have it, Key declined.

"I felt like I had the ability to play with the best and I felt like I was going to come to Michigan State and walk-on," he said. "If I couldn't play with the best, if I couldn't measure up, I'd find out during the walk-on tryout. But I always had confidence I could get it done. I always felt like if I couldn't play with the best I wouldn't play."

At only 5-foot-10 Key measures up just fine. Evidence of this came earlier this year when the rest of his teammates selected number 13 as captain. "I've been in different leadership roles throughout my whole entire life - school, other sports growing up, so I really didn't feel nervous," said Key. "I feel very comfortable being the leader here, and I feel like the guys respect me enough to listen to me and follow my lead."

Leading primarily on the field, Key makes textbook tackles and highlight-reel interceptions. He's second on the team in tackles with 28, and tied for third in the Big Ten with two interceptions. A strong safety that makes plays, Key returned a pick 31 yards for a touchdown against Pittsburgh, and his interception in the fourth quarter at Wisconsin last week set up a game-tying field goal.

Key usually finds himself in the right place at the right time. In an upset over No. 4 Wisconsin his freshman year, Key recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for his first-career touchdown. In MSU's record-setting comeback at Northwestern last season, he made the interception that led to the game-winning field goal in the final minutes. Key did explain that occasionally "if I feel the time is needed I will give my two-cents. But for the most part I try to lead by example. But I get the guys riled up."

It's hard to deny Key's career as a Spartan has felt like anything short of a movie. Going from walk-on to captain was not even scripted for Notre Dame's Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger. So is there a Rudy the Keyquel in the mix?

"I think Taye Diggs would play me," said Key with a smile when thinking about the title, "and Billy Bob Thorton would play Coach."

But even with his success, Key stays grounded. He is a humble and intelligent individual with a big heart. His teammates praise him with the same compliments, only "they call me T. Key," Travis acknowledged while laughing.

His passion is what drives him and his teammates feed off of it. On the field, Key jumps around like a little kid, hooting and hollering, firing up his teammates. The man loves football.

Still, each day ends just as quietly as his career began.

Walk on, walk off.

Key shows up to work, does his job the right way and exits stage left. He's not one to take a curtain call.

Feature originally published in Spartan Sports Zone magazine vs. Northwestern