Conflicting Allegiances
April 11, 2005 02:09 PM | General
April 14, 2005
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University sophomore defensive lineman Keilen Dykes admits to encountering conflicting allegiances while growing up in Youngstown, Ohio.
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| Sophomore Keilen Dykes has the ability to be an exceptional defensive lineman for the Mountaineers in 2005.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks |
His father was an Ohio State fan and his mother was a Michigan follower. So naturally as a youngster Dykes grew up following Notre Dame. “I was Lou Holtz fan. I used to Notre Dame and I cried when they lost to Florida State. I always dreamed about playing for Notre Dame,” he said recently.
Dykes got a recruiting letter from the Irish and deeper interest from several Big Ten schools while starring at Chaney High School, but he had yet to earn a qualifying test score and most of the schools recruiting him encouraged him to go to junior college first.
“I had a lot of Big Ten schools recruiting me but they were trying to send me off to junior college to places like Missouri,” Dykes said.
Only West Virginia stuck by Dykes through the entire process and it was something that made a big impression on him.
“They were like you’re going to make the grades and so you’ve got to go to the place where they really want you,” Dykes said. “Someone told me never go somewhere where they’re going to ship you off. Go to the place that really wants you to come. West Virginia was there for me through the whole time. They even supported me when I went to night school. I knew this was the place I should be at.”
An overriding goal of Dykes was to prove to those other schools that they were missing out on a top-notch prospect that could also take his school work seriously.
“I wanted to prove to the other schools and I was like, forget you, I’ll go to West Virginia, make my grades and prove these people wrong,” he said.
There loss was certainly West Virginia’s gain. Dykes was the second-most productive defensive lineman last year as a freshman, recording 37 tackles, six tackles for losses and two sacks as a part-time starter. This year there has been casual talk around the Milan Puskar Center that Dykes could be something really special in a couple of years.
Dykes, standing 6 feet 4 and weighing 295 pounds, admits he’s a much improved player.
“I feel much stronger and it’s easier to push these guys out of the way,” he said. “I’ve got more experience and I’m looser out there knowing what I’m doing and being more comfortable out there.”
Dykes could sense a difference in his game the first time he came out in full pads this spring.
“Going in board drills it was just time to step it up,” he said. “Jason Hardee and Ben Lynch are gone and it’s time for some players to step and I want to be the player that steps up. I want to be the guy come fourth quarter that you can depend on me to make a play.”
Even though Dykes has become a more confident and polished player, he isn’t foolish enough to think there isn’t room for improvement.
“Coach (Bill) Kirelawich says I need to come off the ball better in my pass rush. That’s why we’re out here in the spring to get better,” Dykes said.
Keilen admits his strong suit is stopping the run. “I don’t plan on getting pushed off the ball at all,” he said.
As for still being a closet Notre Dame fan, you can forget about that.
“When you get older it’s like your heart disappears but when I was little that was the place,” he laughed.
Today when Dykes goes back home to Youngstown there is no questioning his allegiance – or his parents.
“Every time I’m home I’ve got something gold and blue on,” he said. “I let them know where I’m at. I’ve got my (bowl) rings on, I’ve got my t-shirts – I’ve always got something gold and blue on.”
With Dykes controlling things up front, hopefully at the end of next season he’ll be able to add another bowl ring to his growing collection.
