TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- For Indiana State senior running back Ja'Quan Keys, overcoming adversity is nothing new. While his season and career comes to a close after the announcement today by head coach Curt Mallory regarding a hip injury suffered during last weekend's victory over Southern Illinois, he exits at surely at the height of his career.
 
"I couldn't be more appreciative for Ja'Quan and what he's done for this football program over his career," head coach Curt Mallory said. "He's been a tremendous leader on and off the field and has represented this football program in a first-class manner on his way to earning his degree."
 
"What he has meant to our program this season, with the numbers he has put up, there is not a running back in the country I would trade for Ja'Quan Keys."
 
Though he will not see action on the field, Keys will still play a key leadership role on the sideline through the final stretch of the season that will set the direction for continued strong leadership in the program for many years to come. Keys will also continue to work toward his master's degree at Indiana State.
 
"Football at Indiana State has meant a lot to me. It's been like a family the whole time I've been here and it's nice to be a part of something that is like that," Keys noted. "For some of us, football is all we have and when something like this happens, it's nice to have a family to lean on."
 
"This year, I feel like I finally got an opportunity to show what working hard can do. Everyone that's on the field has the talent to play at this level, but you still have to put in the hard work to be successful and it shows that players at Indiana State can be just as successful as anywhere else in the country."
 
Keys, a native of Hammond, La., who's family relocated to Indianapolis following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, threw the final punches during his senior campaign, accounting for 948 yards on 158 carries while etching his name in the Sycamore record book with 13 touchdowns -- the third most in program history.
 
A Perry Meridian High School product, Keys wraps up his career with 1,467 total yards and 16 touchdowns, finishing just 286 yards from entering the top-10 in career rushing yards in program history.
 
After receiving just one carry as a true freshman during the Sycamores' FCS Playoff run in 2014, Keys missed the entire 2015 campaign with a knee injury. He worked his way back to be a contributor in 2016 and was third on the team with 311 rushing yards and one touchdown on 73 carries as a sophomore. In 2017, he played in 10 games, including three starts and rushed for 208 yards behind LeMonte Booker.
 
The highlight of Keys' senior campaign will be the reclamation of the championship of the Border Battle with Eastern Illinois. He was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week following a career-high 232 yards rushing on 34 attempts, including four trips to the end zone. It was the sixth-highest single-game rushing total in program history.
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Football team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.