West Texas Product Case Keenum on the Verge of History

MINNEAPOLIS, MN-- Abilene Wylie and University of Houston grad Case Keenum has seen some miles through his career as a quarterback. Those miles may be leading him to uncharted territory: the first ever west Texas quarterback to start in a Super Bowl. Monahans native Monte McGuire was on the 1987 Super Bowl winning Denver Broncos team, but he didn't start because of Hall of Famer John Elway

Thanks to a well placed pass to receiver Stefon Diggs, and blunder by New Orleans' rookie cornerback Marcus Williams, Keenum and the Minnesota Vikings are just one win away from being the first team to play in the same Super Bowl they host.

But those miles along the long, ever-winding road that has been Keenum's career never showed the promise it does now to those watching from the outside. 

At Houston, Keenum almost reached a legendary status that had only been seen during the playing days of Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware. Through his career in the Third Ward of Houston, Keenum broke nine NCAA records. He also finished his collegiate career with an impressive QB Rating of 160.6. However, three games in to his senior season in 2010, Keenum tore his ACL and was sidelined before being granted a sixth year of eligibility. The Cougars would go on to a 13-1 record in Keenum's final year at Houston.

At the beginning of his career in the NFL, Keenum bounced between the Houston Texans and the St. Louis Rams from 2013 to 2016.

Keenum was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Texans and was on the practice squad in 2012. Keenum was signed to the active roster in 2013 as the third string quarterback for Houston behind Matt Schaub and T.J. Yates. Schaub went down injured in a game on October 13, 2013. That next week Keenum was named the starter for the remainder of the season in Houston. The Texans went 0-8 in that span despite some solid play by the Houston.

The 2014 season saw Keenum trade out the blue and gold of St. Louis for the blue and red of Houston in the middle of the year while the Texans were dealing with yet another debacle at the quarterback spot.

In 2015 it looked like the Rams were going to be Keenum's permanent home after keeping him as their full-time back-up quarterback behind current Philadelphia Eagle's quarterback, and Austin Westlake product, Nick Foles. The move looked like it was solidifying even more when Foles was benched for Keenum in Week 11 of the season. 

Then, in 2016, the Rams moved to Los Angeles from St. Louis and drafted Jarred Goff from the University of California-Berkley. However, Keenum initially kept his starting spot despite the arrival of the highly touted Goff. But Keenum's days with the Rams would soon be numbered as he was benched in mid-November for Goff.

In March 2017 Keenum signed a one year deal with Minnesota to be the apparent backup to Sam Bradford. Bradford suffered an injury early in the season and Keenum took the reins in week two of this season.

Since then, Keenum has led the Vikings to a 12-3 record over that time period including an eight game win streak from October to December.

Keenum and the Vikings will take on Nick Foles and the Eagles this Sunday, at 5:40 pm, for the right to go to Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis.