Denver Broncos safety Shiloh Keo walked onto Sports Authority Field in the waning moments of Sunday’s AFC Championship knowing that he was about to be involved in one of the most important plays of his entire career.
The Patriots trailed the Broncos 20-18 with 12 seconds left to play, and Keo was on the field as part of a special teams unit designed to recover an onside kick.
A hush came over the crowd as Patriots placekicker Stephen Gostkowski lined up the ball on the tee and prepared for the game-deciding kick.
The four-time Pro Bowler held his hand in the air as a ready signal, before sprinting up to the ball and booting it into the ground in the hopes that it would take an unexpected bounce in favor of the Patriots.
Keo reacted in a matter of seconds, rushing forward to grab the football as several New England players slammed into his body.
The crowd erupted in a roar as referees quickly signaled the recovery by Keo. The safety leapt up off of the turf and ran towards the Denver sideline, his arms outstretched in celebration.
Keo didn’t just secure the football – he secured Denver’s spot in Super Bowl 50.
“When I think about it, I get emotional,” Keo said following Sunday’s victory.
The Idaho graduate was signed by Denver late in the season as a replacement at strong safety after several starters at the position went down with injuries.
As a Vandal, Keo was named the starting safety as a true freshman under former head coach Dennis Erickson in 2006.
The following year, Keo earned team MVP honors and set program records in both punt return average and punt return yardage.
The Houston Texans selected the safety with the 144th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
In 2012, Keo was named team co-captain alongside defensive standout J.J. Watt and played with the Texans for three seasons before a knee injury sidelined him in 2014.
The safety began 2015 in training camp with the Cincinnati Bengals before being released by the team at the end of the preseason.
Keo signed with Denver on Dec. 9, a week after contacting Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips on Twitter to campaign for a position on the team.
In the team’s season finale against San Diego on Jan. 3, Keo intercepted Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers late in the fourth quarter of a close matchup to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs.
In Sunday’s matchup against New England, Keo was routinely matched up against Patriots Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski. Keo finished the game with three tackles and the crucial onside recovery.
“They believed in me, that’s why they brought me here,” Keo said. “They trust everyone in this locker room. I just hope I can continue to come through and bring home a Super Bowl.”
Denver will face Carolina in Super Bowl 50 at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 7 in Santa Clara, California.
Josh Grissom can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @GoshJrissom