Central Michigan Life

Issue date: 11/16/07 Section: Sports

Red Keith needs just 14 tackles to match Ray Bentley's career mark of 443. The senior linebacker could do it Friday at Kelly/Shorts Stadium in the football team's home finale against Eastern Michigan. [Click to enlarge]

The first thing Red Keith did when he came to CMU in 2003 was pick up the latest football media guide.

He flipped through the historical pages to find Ray Bentley, the menacing former linebacker who became the only defensive player to win the Mid-American Conference's Most Valuable Player award in 1982.

Keith immediately set goals for his career at Central - several of which involved breaking Bentley's records and career totals.

"To me, he's the best defensive player that ever played in this conference," the senior linebacker said. "This is the guy that when I leave, I want people to say my name in the same caliber as him."

Keith has a chance to make his case at 7 p.m. today against Eastern Michigan. The Franklin, Ga., native has 429 career tackles, needing just 14 to reach Bentley's career mark of 443.

Keith said he wanted to break the mark last week at Western Michigan, where Bentley was calling the game as a broadcaster for ESPN, but missing most of the previous game at Kent State hurt his chances.

"It means a lot more to me when he does our games," Keith said. "It gets me going a little bit. It means the best defensive player in the conference is watching me."


Meeting Bentley

Despite having idolized Bentley throughout his career, Keith did not get a chance to meet him until this season.

He had the chance to talk to Bentley over the phone in September, during the week of Central's game at Purdue. Keith said he was to meet him in person that weekend.

"I felt like a little kid meeting a celebrity," he said. "I was all prepped. I wanted to get his autograph on a ball. I was talking about it all week."

Bentley called Keith out that Saturday, giving him words of encouragement prior to kickoff. Although CMU lost 45-22, Keith finished the game with 11 tackles and a fumble recovery.

Continued...

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