Leroy Keyes, a two-time consensus All-American running back and one of the greatest football players in Purdue history, died Thursday.
He was 74. He died at his home in West Lafayette, Indiana, surrounded by his wife and children, the family said in a statement.
Keyes had been in poor health recently, suffering from congestive heart failure and a cancer recurrence. He previously had prostate cancer.
Keyes was third in the Heisman Trophy balloting in 1967 and was the runner-up to O.J. Simpson in 1968. But he wasn't just a star at Purdue — he was an icon who excelled as a running back, defensive back, kickoff returner and handled kickoff duties. “This morning we lost a great friend and football brother, Leroy Keyes," former Boilermakers and