WVU Sports Hall of Fame

Inducted: 2018

Written by Bryan Messerly

Sport: Football
Years at WVU: 1946-47
Hometown: Bellaire, Ohio

Collegiate: Was a rare letterman in football both at WVU and Ohio State. After an all-star high school career--he's a member of the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Hall of Fame, he enrolled at Ohio State where the two-way back lettered as a freshman before serving 20 months in the U. S. Navy. Upon discharge, he enrolled at WVU and lettered on 1946 and 1947 teams. He scored a touchdown against Washington & Lee on Oct. 4, 1947 and a touchdown against Pitt on Nov. 29, 1947.

Professional: He was a 2nd round pick and 18th overall National Football League Draft selection by the Los Angeles Rams in 1948. He played eight NFL seasons, and 87 games, as a defensive back-offensive end including the first four seasons with the Rams. In 1952,, he played with the Dallas Texans before two seasons with the Baltimore Colts and ended his playing career in 1955 with the Chicago Cardinals. He was a two-time All-Pro and played in the 9153 Pro Bowl, ranked second in the NFL in pass interceptions twice, and played in three NFL championship games including the 1951 Rams' title team. From 1948-52, he and brother Jim Keane--the NFL's leading pass receiver in 1947 while a Chicago Bear, both played in the NFL. He was a long-time assistant coach in the NFL and coached in five Super Bowls with the Miami Dolphins.

Keane coached with the Chicago Cardinals from 1957-59 before returning to his native Ohio Valley where he became the first head coach of the Wheeling Ironmen professional football team for three seasons (1962-64). His 1962 and 1963 teams won United Football League championships and his three teams posted records of 9-4, 12-1 and 7-7.
He returned to the NFL as an aide for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1965 before joining the original staff of the Miami Dolphins in 1966 where he remained until retiring in 1985 to cap a 38-year pro career as a player or coach.

Personal: Keane is a member of the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference and Upper Ohio Valley Dapper Dan Halls of Fame and was selected the 1982 Upper Ohio Valley Dapper Dan Co-Man of the Year with Philadelphia Eagles assistant coach Fred Bruney.

Keane died at age 74 in 2001.

Photos: Yes