‘Pushing, trying and fighting” keys to success for QB Keenan

The feeling of strapping on his pads and putting on his helmet is a familiar one for James Keenan. After hitting the gridiron for the first time with the Bell Warriors in the NCAFA League at the tyke level, Keenan has not looked back.

Now playing for the Myers Riders, Keenan is hoping to help his team win the championship to give them the three-peat. He is also going into his seventh season with the Warriors. Throughout the course of his football career, he has won two MVP awards, three outstanding player awards, a coach’s award, and perhaps most surprisingly, a defensive back award.

With all of the years spent on the field, there have been memories made, perhaps none more prominent than winning the championship game against the Toronto Thunder.

“We were both the top ranked teams. It was a hard-fought game, yard by yard. In the last minutes, we drove 70 yards to score, but needed a two-point conversion to tie the game,” he recalled. “It came down to me to throw a short pass to bring the game into overtime. We won in overtime.”

After watching his older brother Charlie treat football seriously, Keenan says he had a huge influence on how he plays, practices, works out, and what he eats.

“He treated his football career very seriously and measured his efforts and goals precisely,” he offered of his brother Charlie. “It’s that preciseness I bring to my position and leadership qualities.”

Although he is graduating in 2018, Keenan says he has already been talking to scouts in regards to their interest in him and about the programs offered. The two year wait until he can play for a university is not stopping him from visiting universities in the meantime.

“When I play in certain cities, my parents take me through the campus,” he said. “I may go back east to the Maritimes in the fall. Nothing official at the moment, but I am doing my homework before any official visits.”

In the meantime, Keenan is working to improve his game. He says that he wants to improve everything about his style of play. He attributes his success to never quitting, saying that if one keeps trying, pushing and fighting, they will succeed.

When it comes to becoming a better player, Keenan wants to improve everything.

“I like to work on my strengths and make them stronger. I have been working with my OC to better read defenses and individual opponents’ strengths and weaknesses,” he said. “I feel my throwing mechanics are good, but need to get stronger and have a quicker release.”

Although it in unclear where he will be after completing high school, Keenan says that there are many opportunities across Canada for him to grow as a player.

“Every CIS division has great teams from the west coast to the east, they all seem to have very good educational programs too,” he said. “There have been a few programs that have asked if I was interested. Of course I am, but we will have to wait until the season is over and I can find time during the school year.”