Sean McKeogh had always dreamed of playing Division 1 sports; a feasible dream for a 6’4’’ tall freshman with exceptional athleticism and deceptive speed. With these qualities, Mckeogh was a standout player on the varsity soccer and volleyball team as well as his freshman basketball team in his first year of high school athletics.
However, until boys soccer was changed from a fall sport to a winter sport in the Marin County Athletic League, forcing McKeogh to give up basketball, he never imagined that he would realize his dream by playing football in college.
“I have always watched college football from a young age,” McKeogh said. “But I never expected that I would have the opportunity to take part in it myself.”
In fact, McKeogh was originally given the idea to go out for football by his doctor, who was helping him recover from injury. Fast forward four years, and McKeogh has fulfilled his dream of playing Division 1 sports by verbally committing to Harvard’s Class of 2021 as a Division 1 punter, in addition to majoring in economics.
Although McKeogh only started playing football as a junior, the announcement of his commitment comes as no surprise to anyone who knows McKeogh in the classroom and on the field. McKeogh’s hard work and consistency in the classroom has earned him a spot on the Dean’s List every semester; on the field, he was assessed as a four-and-a-half star punter & kicker by one of his kicking mentors, Chris Sailer, who was an All-American kicker and punter at UCLA and now trains and evaluates high school kicking prospects like McKeogh.
Like many others, Sailer praises McKeogh’s “strong leg” and "athleticism”, but he also marvels at McKeogh’s potential, calling the “sky the limit” for Sean. McKeogh was a finalist in the 2016 Vegas XXVIII Punt Competition, going on to be awarded MCAL first team honors for both kicking and punting as a senior.
Despite his success, McKeogh remains humble.
“It’s truly a dream come true to continue playing my favorite sport while getting a world class education,” McKeogh said.
Before all of the accomplishments, McKeogh made an immediate impression on Marin Catholic football coach Mazi Moayed, even as he was adjusting to kicking in pads and a helmet.
“Sean’s athleticism was obvious from the start,” Moayed said, recalling Sean’s first practice. “After his first couple punts and kicks it was clear he could crush the ball.”
Moayed knew immediately that McKeogh, a junior at the time, would take over the starting kicking and punting job from a returning senior. In many cases, this could have resulted in a cumbersome relationship; for the likeable McKeogh, it resulted in a unbreakable friendship with the now-graduated Brendan Lenz, who showed McKeogh the ropes of football as McKeogh prepared to take on a starting role.
McKeogh’s easygoing personality is inspired in part by Johnny Hekker, the three time Pro-Bowl punter for the St. Louis Rams and McKeogh’s role model. Hekker is also 6’4’’ with an Irish background, known for his quirky personality and humor, making him an appropriate choice for the like-minded McKeogh.
McKeogh credits Moayed along with Lenz, Sailer, and Coach Jenkins (former Marin Catholic kicking coach) with playing a key role in his development as a kicker and punter. But Moayed, who made every effort to get his kicker college looks, dismissed the idea that he played a big role in McKeogh’s rise from football newcomer to MCAL first team kicker and punter as a senior.
“I usually let my kicker be,” Moayed admitted. “Sean always had the talent...all I had to do was teach practice and routine.”
Moayed described Sean as having “goofy confidence,” someone whose unique approach to football was an indispensable component of the team’s overall character.
McKeogh managed to infuse his lighthearted personality with Moayed’s love for routine. On game days, McKeogh can assuredly be found sporting Crocs with socks. In addition to the unorthodox choice of footwear, McKeogh wears long sleeves in every game, regardless of the temperature.
“I’m hoping Crocs will fit the pre game dress code (at Harvard)” McKeogh joked. “The long sleeves are staying for sure.”
When I asked him what made him most excited about his commitment, instead of focusing on himself, Mckeogh remarked that “(he is) most excited about the people (he) will meet and learn more about since Harvard has students and professors from all over the country and the world.”
Despite the fact that McKeogh will be attending a university alongside thousands of the brightest young minds from all over the world, there is no doubt that he will find ways to stand out between his athletic talent, quirky personality, and his trademark Crocs-with-socks look.
