Originally published January 19, 1982.
On and off the field, Leroy Keyes is keenly aware that the city of Philadelphia is a hard sell.
He learned his first lesson when the product he was selling was Leroy Keyes and the market he made his pitch to was a city full of defeat-weary Eagles fans, who saw him as the poor man's O.J. Simpson.
That was in 1969, the spring after the Eagles tied the Buffalo Bills for the NFL's worst record at 2-12. The two teams flipped a coin for the rights to the first draft pick, a franchise-making running back from USC who now sells cowboy boots when he's not flying through airports.