The story of Keith Closs

[DirtyKash]

I found this about one of my favorite players of all-time (to make fun of) when scrolling through this website. It's the story of Keith Closs, which sounds like it's straight out of He Got Game. Dude battled so much adversity to get to where he is in life and had talent coming out of his ass. He should have been huge in the NBA.

This story is an excerpt from my book, "Redwoods: Spread Your Roots and Coach Your Team to Success!" Other coaches always told me that this was the greatest recruiting story of all-time...

I was a lot smarter coach when I had talent and the only way to attract talent was to recruit like a mad man. The taller the talent usually the better coach I was.

Keith Closs Jr. was 7'3" with a 7'3" wingspan. He had grown into a Redwood! He was left-handed, he could run the floor, and jumped out of the arena. When God created Keith Closs Jr., he made all the right decisions in developing the perfect shot blocker. The moment I laid my eyes on this special talent, I dedicated myself to someday coaching Keith Closs Jr.

He was being wooed by Utah, Oregon State, Long Beach State, Penn State, Maryland, UConn and Boston College just to name a few. I was the head coach of unheralded Central Connecticut State University. I was headed toward the end of my contract and 24 losses do not feed the twins. I needed a strategy that would change the rules of the game while playing within the rules of the N.C.A.A.

I did my homework and found out that his father, Keith Closs Sr. was in prison in Enfield, Connecticut and was very influential in the decision-making process. I called the prison to make an appointment to see Keith Sr. behind the bars of this maximum-security facility. I was told that Tuesday visitations were not an option until I offered season tickets to all the guards on the day shift. When you are the worst team in the country, a few extra tickets are not a problem, trust me!

We met in a small room alone. I was a bit surprised to be left alone with a convicted felon but rolled with the punches. He was a tall, slender 40-year-old version of his son, except seven inches shorter, which still made him a formidable 6' 8". He wore the khaki green of a prisoner with a well-pressed shirt and well-groomed appearance. His eyes exposed his hopelessness until the thoughts of Keith Jr. playing hoops at Central Connecticut flashed through his mind.

We visited like old friends for an hour before a guard gave us the two-minute warning. I could tell that he trusted me and respected me for coming alone. I was the only coach to come to him through the metal detectors and barbed wire fences that separated freedom from captivity. At that point, I knew what the big boys did not know...Keith Sr. held the key to this decision.

On the third Saturday in April my coaching life changed inside the prison walls of Enfield. Keith Jr. and his mother, Tia, flew in from California for his campus visit. I drove them to Enfield for their first family reunion in 4 years. I had arranged for this meeting through the security guards to take place during family visitation time. Yes, it cost me a few more tickets.

We walked through the security area shedding our belts, watches, keys; everything metal was stored in a locker as we passed through the metal detector and into a study hall-like area. Keith Sr. had tears in his eyes as he gazed up at his 7'3" flesh and blood with a combination of wonderment and love. It was a scene of serenity engulfed in a sea of despair. One I will never forget!

We went to the back of a room that had a seaport lifelike picture on the wall. An inmate with a Polaroid camera snapped our photo together as I was dwarfed by the size of Keith and his parents. We sat and visited and I left to allow them to catch up on family matters.

At 2:55 PM, I returned to close the deal. With letter of intent and scholarship forms in hand I made my last attempt to sign Keith Closs Jr. The inmates were lined up to return to their cells at 3:00 PM save one, Mr.Closs. Guards surrounded us as I started to close the meeting with one last thought. It was a thought that changed the course of Central Connecticut basketball history. It went like this:

"Keith, Tia, Keith Sr., rarely in a man's life does he have the opportunity to bring about the most important goals and dreams of life. Today, I gladly deliver that opportunity for parents to live their dreams and their child to realize all of his goals. A parent’s dream is that their child has a far better life than theirs. Eventually children become parents and come to realize that their goals turn into dreams for their children and your grandchildren. Today, I offer you your dreams and goals! Keith, if you go to class and do as I say, I give you my word that you will break David Robinson’s all-time NCAA blocked shot record and have an opportunity to live out your parent's dreams to have a better life by way of a better education and better preparation. Will you play for me?”

The Closs family signed the National Letter of Intent to play for Mark Adams and Central Connecticut State University in front of cheering inmates and penned their signatures with borrowed ink pens from the prison guards on that April afternoon.

In 1996, Keith Closs Jr. obliterated Robinson’s record averaging just under 6.5 blocks per game and still stands today as the all-time greatest shot blocker in NCAA history with 5.87 blocks/game for his career.

Epilogue- Keith Closs signed with the LA. Clippers in 1997 for $8,500,000.00 guaranteed over five years! I went to see Keith play against the Cleveland Cavaliers and got to go to dinner with him and my family the night before the game. He was dressed like a millionaire but underneath the clothes was the same kid I once coached. I bought dinner!

I hear from Keith from time to time as he is bouncing around various professional leagues over the last few years. I always really liked Keith and I wish him well!

Mark Adams - National Motivational Speaker, Business Coach, College Basketball Analyst

[Kingdom]

He should have room in Mofo's heart.

[realmofotalk]

Anyone who gets his ass beaten down by a mob on the streets of L.A. does.

[realmofotalk]

Dude had talent coming out of his ass. He should have been huge in the NBA.

Well, he is huge. But you're joking about the talent, right?

[DirtyKash]

It's all relative.

[Kingdom]

In Kentucky