For Falcons linebacker Josh Keyes, playing a team from New England in the Super Bowl recalls multiple periods in his life. Both of those now clash with his present as he prepares for Super Bowl LI.
Keyes, 24, is a reserve linebacker in Atlanta’s rising defense. But he was once a young football fan growing up in upstate New York, watching Tom Brady and the Patriots build a dynasty. Like so many others of his generation, he was captivated.
“I actually grew up being a Patriots fan originally,” Keyes said in a recent interview. “And that’s kind of weird because I grew up in upstate New York.