BELLEVILLE, Ill. — If you see Keith Randolph Jr. coming towards you on the football field ... look out.
The 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive tackle was a tank for five years wearing Illinois orange in Champaign, racking up 159 tackles and 10 sacks.
Now, he's gone through the NFL combine process, and waiting to hear his name in the draft in late April.
However, back in high school at Belleville West, Randolph Jr. had dreams of a pro career on the basketball court ... until his junior year.
"I was a junior in high school and everybody was telling me to go play football. I decided I would give it a try. And my first practice I ended up getting an offer from Lindenwood Belleville. And I had no offers at the time so that offer felt like it was from Ohio State or something," Randolph Jr. said. "Getting that offer after only playing for one day? Who knows what I can do with it?"
Now, Randolph Jr. is back in that Belleville West Maroon locker room, preparing to be a professional athlete, and in turn add to Illinois coach Bret Bielema's continued success sending players to the next level.
"(Coach Bielema has had) A ton of influence. He's a fantastic coach. He's touched so many players in different ways and helped them succeed. Before Coach B came we weren't sending players to the NFL at this fast a pace. Now it's like every other year Illinois is putting some guys in the NFL. So he definitely has a big thing to do with that," Randolph Jr. said.
Randolph Jr. was a fan favorite in Champaign, and hopes the Illini faithful remember his days there fondly.
"(I hope I'm remembered) as a flat-out ballplayer. On the field he worked hard, he made plays, he loved the fans. Off the field he's great person, love to laugh, funny and half the law firm," Randolph said. "Playing college football is a tough journey. You go through a lot of ups and downs and you need something to balance all that. So I'd say being closer to God and coming out on the other end from when I walked in being closer to God ... and being more mature. Young me never had a serious button. But now that I'm older, I just see things differently."
When Randolph Jr. does become a professional athlete, he will amazingly be the third member of Belleville West's 2018 state championship basketball team to become a pro, joining Malachi Smith (Portland Trailblazers) and E.J. Liddell (New Orleans Pelicans).
Randolph Jr. and Liddell won two state hoops titles together at West, and have been friends since they were kids. Now, the pair is about to be living out their childhood dreams as professional athletes.
"We talk about it all the time. Sometimes I tell him, 'Dude, you're with the Pelicans, what if the Saints get me and we're both in New Orleans? We're living together. We have to.' I would've never thought like, bro, we're both pros. ... We need a documentary. The same high school. We've been playing basketball together since we were in like fifth grade. And to get to the point where we are now is just a blessing," Randolph Jr. said.
Randolph will always be representing his hometown at the next level.
"It's helped me get to where I am today. It's made me. 618 baby. We've put out a lot of great athletes in this city and I'm blessed to be another one of them," Randolph Jr. said.
And has already thought about what that draft day phone call will be like.
"I've thought about it. I've even practiced fake phone calls. ... I don't want it all to hit me at once on draft night. So hopefully in April I start getting more adjusted to it. But I don't know how I'm gonna feel. I hope I don't cry. I'm gonna try not to cry. I'm gonna try to keep it gangster."