McKeon Enjoying the Whole Ride as Senior Tight End
9/3/2019 10:00:00 AM | Football, Features
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- There are 18 roller coasters at Cedar Point. The amusement park on the Lake Erie shoreline is an adrenaline junkie's dream, and before football preseason camp began, University of Michigan tight end Sean McKeon and his roommate and close friend, quarterback Shea Patterson, took them on.
There was Top Thrill Dragster, Wicked Twister, Steel Vengeance and the long-time favorite Blue Streak. Patterson's parents took them and Shea's two brothers on a true joy ride in Sandusky, Ohio.
"I got to go to Cedar Point for the first time ever," said McKeon. "That was fun with Shea and his family, definitely a good time. My favorite one was the one that goes straight up in the air and then straight back down. That one was wild. I'd yell a little bit, but I'm not a screamer. Shea didn't say much."
McKeon and Patterson provided Wolverine fans plenty of thrills in the season-opening 40-21 win Saturday (Aug. 31) over Middle Tennessee State. The highlight was a 28-yard touchdown pass midway through the second quarter.
"It was a great play call on Coach (Josh) Gattis," McKeon said of the offensive coordinator. "He knew they were bringing some more blitzes, which led to 'one high' coverage and we got two seams up on the safety. So, Shea made a great ball (throw), and I caught it and got into the end zone."
McKeon also grabbed a nine-yard pass from Patterson to get the chains moving on another drive that ended in Jake Moody's second field goal, and he made some critical blocks.
"He's improved in the areas where a tight end needs to improve at -- in terms of run-blocking and catching the ball," said U-M coach Jim Harbaugh. "I thought he did a real good job of catching that (touchdown) ball in traffic and took some hits from both sides and got the ball into the end zone."
McKeon, at 6-foot-5 and 246 pounds, also came close to making a spectacular, big-yardage catch over the middle in tight double coverage.
"The other one would've been a difficult catch," noted Harbaugh. "But as he keeps progressing, you'll see him make those more times than not. He's (also) very good in his leadership, work ethic.
"I mean, he's another guy that would've been considered for most outstanding offensive player of this (Middle Tennessee) game."
That award went to redshirt freshman offensive left tackle Ryan Hayes, making his first start in place of senior All-Big Ten first team selection Jon Runyan Jr., who could return soon.
McKeon led the Wolverines with both 31 catches and three touchdown receptions while totaling 301 yards in 2017. He played mostly the "Y" tight end position but was the primary H-back/tight end last season, when Pittsburgh Steelers draftee Zach Gentry became the more frequent passing target. McKeon's receiving numbers dropped to 14 for 122 yards and one touchdown. But he's back at "Y" this season, with junior Nick Eubanks at H-back, and could once again become a bigger passing game factor.
"I was more of the slot or H-back," said McKeon, an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection in 2017 and 2018. "Zach, he earned all those catches and had a super season. Maybe my production went down a little bit because of that, but as long as the team was winning I didn't really care much."
McKeon played tight end in a Wing T, run-oriented offense at Shepherd Hill Regional High in Dudley, Massachusetts, and had 23 catches for 334 yards and three touchdowns as a senior.
He noted that route running was a major point of required growth upon arriving in Ann Arbor, and he credits Jay Harbaugh, the tight ends coach his first two seasons, with getting him up to speed.
"Coach Jay's really the guy that recruited me and brought me here," said McKeon. "So, I'm thankful for that. My first season here, he really helped me develop my route running and pass-catching ability. He taught me quickness at the top of the break, getting releases off the line of scrimmage. He really got the ball rolling for me."
All-America tight end Jake Butt showed him the way in every way.
"When I first got here as a freshman (in 2016)," said McKeon, "I didn't have a clue what was going on. And there was the best tight end in the country here at the same time. Coach Jay basically said, 'Whatever you do, watch Jake, and do what he does.' He took me under his wing and helped me out, definitely taught me a lot about football, and we're still pretty good friends."
Sherrone Moore began coaching tight ends last season.
"He's all about the details and your technique and style of play," said McKeon. "Being successful is really about focusing on little details that set you apart from everyone else. And he also brings a lot of energy and is emotional, too. It's great to have someone like that who can pump you up and get you ready to play."
McKeon was a consensus three-star recruit.
"That definitely puts a chip on your shoulder for sure," said McKeon, now on the Mackey Award watch list. "You come in and, obviously, the University of Michigan has a lot of four- and five-star guys. So, you have to outwork all those guys who are supposedly better than you off ratings. But, in reality, the ratings don't matter. It's what you do when you get here."
He learned that "work ethic" from his parents -- father Paul is a pipefitter and mother Charlotte is a nurse -- and is the oldest of three children. Sister Erin is 18 and brother Brandon is a freshman outside linebacker at Central Connecticut State.
"He can try to cover me," said Sean, "but I don't think he'll be able to (laughter)."
Ironically, Wolverine defensive coordinator Don Brown, then in that same capacity at Boston College, recruited Sean for another school at another position. McKeon had 57 tackles, including 11 for lost yardage and eight sacks, as a high school senior.
"Coach Brown actually recruited me to play defensive end at Boston College," said McKeon. "But I wanted to play tight end in college, and a couple other schools recruited me at defensive end, too."
He also liked Pitt and Syracuse but said, "When Michigan offered, it was kind of a no-brainer. Coach Harbaugh had just been hired when I started getting recruited, and has such a legacy with tight ends and how much he involves them in offenses. The school itself is amazing, too."
McKeon, a Ross School of Business student with aspirations for a marketing career after football and an Academic All-Big Ten honoree in 2017, has been impacted by many professors, coaches and teammates.
What's he proudest of from his college career?
"Just all the memories I've made with my teammates -- all the great wins, all the great seasons," said McKeon. "There are so many people I've gotten to meet and interact with. Some are gone and doing big things, whether in the NFL or in the work force. Everything about coming to Michigan has been a dream come true for me."
He's had plenty of fun along the way, too, and played countless rounds of golf over the summer with Patterson at the University of Michigan, Huron Hills and Leslie Park golf courses. They also partake in video game competition such as PGA Tour or Fortnite.
"We got big into golf this summer," said McKeon. "I started playing last year, and I'm getting better. Me and Shea went a lot, trying to get good at golf. It's not easy. My driving has improved. I've stopped slicing the ball -- which was my biggest problem."
They're renting a house near the athletics campus along with Grant Perry, a senior wide receiver last year.
What's their house like?
"It's clean," McKeon said with a smile. "It's actually a pretty nice house with a nice living room we always hang out in, playing Xbox or watching TV or whatever. We watch Netflix and Hulu, a lot of 'Rick and Morty,' that's a funny show."
Roomies get to know one another in a different way than other teammates.
"He might be 'Shea Patterson, Michigan quarterback,'" said McKeon, "but he's a pretty low-key guy. He doesn't do much, kind of stays in. He's a super-humble guy. You wouldn't even know he's Shea Patterson if you met him on the street. Something I've learned about him is that he's a great guy and easy to live with. And, by the way, a great teammate."
They are enjoying their senior years together, sharing everything from touchdowns to roller coasters.
