By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

Under the warmth of a late-August sun, Keyshawne King sat at Hamrick Field on the kind of day that you need sunglasses by 9 a.m. to soften the brightness.

It didn’t take long to realize that the sun was not the only bright part of the day.

Once King began talking, he quickly flashed his smile.

It is the kind of smile that projects a sudden and radiant warmth of genuine happiness.

He is happy to talk about football.

He is happy to be at Waterloo.

He is happy for the support group that cocoons him.

He is happy to have the large and sincere friendship circle that has embraced him.

Keyshawne King is happy and it stems from knowing what it is like to be on a different side of life.

When the smiles are far less frequent.

Where the sounds of gunshots are more common. When he had to pick and choose when to play outside safely. When the fear of laying flat on his living room floor for safety needed to be a consideration.

King’s childhood was different than the one experienced by many of his peers.

It was scary, tough and unfair.

“I just told myself that I had to suck it up and deal with it,” King said. “I remember being little and being scared every night, but I got used to it. I learned how to protect myself.”

King moved from Cleveland Heights to Atwater in the summer leading into his eighth grade year and began living with his now adoptive parents Bill and Carrie King.

“They changed my life in such a positive way,” said King, who is now a senior. “They care for me, and I never had parents to support me like they do. They came in and stepped up and changed my life. They gave me something I never had before.”

King also quickly fell in love with Waterloo.

“It was weird. There were no street lights, no sidewalks. It was different, but I knew pretty quickly that I liked this place,” King said.

“Everyone treated me right, they encouraged me to get involved in things. They made me feel like I am safe. It has been four years and this feels like home. Waterloo is home.”

King’s introduction to Waterloo began before the school year even started, when he joined the middle school football team led by veteran coach Bill Huber.

Mike Devies was the high school football coach at that time, and was also serving as the district’s Athletic Director, and he approached Huber to let him know that the program may have a new player.

“I remember that our season was only about a week away from starting when Mike (Devies) came to me and told me that there was a new boy who had just moved in from Cleveland,” Huber remembered. “He told me that ‘Key’ was going to come out to practice that night.”

It didn’t take long for King to make an impression on Huber.

“About 5 minutes is all it took,” Huber said with a laugh. “I thought to myself, ‘Yes, this kid will do just fine’.”

As an eighth-grader, King scored 12 touchdowns in seven games and the shortest touchdown he had that season was from 60 yards out.

Meanwhile, at school, King was also emerging.

“He fit right in with everyone. Immediately. Kids just gravitated to him and it has been that way ever since,” Huber said. “He is probably the most popular kid in the entire school and not just because he is a good athlete, but it is because he is a good kid, he cares about people and he is fun to be around.

“He is someone who kids look up to,” Huber added. “The elementary kids love him and want to be around him. They high-five him with excitement. Key is the kid that everyone wants to be around.”

King, who runs a 4.4 time in the 40-yard dash, is off to a blistering pace this season, as well. In just two games, King is already approaching 500 yards rushing and has scored six touchdowns. He also has an interception, forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

The individual numbers tell a story, but King does not want it to be a story about an individual.

“My job is to be better for the team. To do things that make all of us better,” King said. “Coach says every time to give 110 percent, but when I hear that, I always try for more than that. I have to give it my all, and I can’t take any plays off. I owe that to my team.”

As he says it, he flashes his smile again.

He can’t hide his happiness.

And he doesn’t want to.