Good Key Article

Digging Up Dirt
MARTIN FENNELLY
Published: Sep 3, 2003




B ill Clinton wrote him the other day. Let's get together soon, Clinton implored Keyshawn Johnson. People magazine has been chasing Key for months, promising a story, a big story. Key said N-O because they wanted him to talk about his famous ``friendship,'' which Key won't go into, though he admits he could have sat in the family box at Wimbledon. Guess which family? ``People are always digging dirt,'' Key said, grinning wide.
They're digging real dirt in his old neighborhood in Los Angeles. Ground has been broken on Marlton Square, another urban-development coup for Keyshawn Capital Development, the company Key started five years ago. The latest hit, a $140 million project to redevelop a decaying 22-acre site with apartments and retail space, is close by where Key hustled, got shot, survived, got out alive.

``Just part of the story,'' he said.

Now add a Super Bowl ring. Key figures even Marvin Harrison, Mr. 143 Catches, would want that. What else? How about that California recall election? Key is staying out of it. He's registered to vote in Florida. Also:

Key isn't sure how much longer he'll play, is sure he and Jon Gruden are on great terms, isn't sure he'll make the Hall of Fame (``Not yet.''), is sure he could play eight more seasons, isn't sure he wants to, is sure Shockey is a damned fool, isn't sure he'd like to run for office, is sure he'd like to run a sports franchise, is sure he is Batman, not Robin (read on) and is sure beyond sure he remains the NFL's best pure wide receiver.

Another day in the sun with Key.

``I'm the same as always.''


The Ring Is The Thing

We never know where to start when it comes to Bucs receiver Keyshawn Johnson. We're never sure if he's a figment of our imagination or his. But as he stood talking at One Buc Place, we enjoyed life. Where to start? Since the Bucs return to Philadelphia to begin defense of their world championship, let's start there. Let's start with the winning touchdown in the NFC title game, caught by the man himself.

``Slant,'' Key said. ``Everybody knew it was coming to me. Touchdown, baby. Threw the ball up against a wall and we all ride out of Philly smiling.''

The ring's the thing. Johnson, a three-time Pro Bowler, has 558 receptions entering his eighth NFL season. The only man with more grabs than that since 1996, when Key was the top pick in the draft, is Colts receiver Harrison, who came into the league with Key and who last season made a record 143 catches.

``Who has more catches than me from the class of '96?'' Key asked. ``Marvin, as far as I know. I don't know the numbers, but I do know I won a Super Bowl and Marvin Harrison had 143 catches. I do know that. Go ask Marvin if he'd like the Super Bowl ring instead of the 143. Bet he'd tell you he'd trade with Key any day.''

The name Jeremy Shockey came up. Shockey, the loose-lipped New York Giants tight end, is the precocious king of New York after just one season, despite calling Cowboys coach Bill Parcells, who won two Super Bowls with the Giants, a ``homo.'' To Key, who did New York as a Jet - lastly under Parcells - Shockey is out of line. That sounds funny coming from Key, who wrote a book after his rookie season. Key remains adamant.

``He's just stupid. You pick your spots. You don't go after Bill Parcells. Twelve years from now, you might be able to stick it to him. But to try and stick it to a guy you're playing in four weeks for no apparent reason? A legendary coach? You don't do that unless you're an idiot.''

But didn't Key rip his first Jets coach?

``I didn't go at Bill Parcells. I went at Richie Kotite. Richie Kotite. C'mon.''

Ah, Key and coaches. Key and Chucky. They had ups and downs their first year together, like any newlyweds. Like when Key didn't make some voluntary offseason activities. ``I have a $200 million deal going,'' Key would tell his coach. He might as well have been speaking Martian to Gruden. And there was their publicized square-off on a Monday night during the season.

Both men say the sea is calm. Now it's nearly an inside joke when they joust. Keyshawn, though down from 106 catches two seasons ago, still led the Bucs with 76 receptions. Oh, and rings, they do wonders.

``I've learned more about him since I first came here,'' Gruden said. ``Guy plays hurt. Guy goes over the middle. Blocks. Guy's a warrior.''

``I don't think we're different personalities at all,'' Keyshawn said. ``I think we're exactly the same. Wanting to win, badly wanting to win, desperately wanting to win, scared to fail.''

Key added, ``You think if I wasn't a team guy, Rich McKay trades two No. 1's for me? That Rich McKay, he's a real dumb guy, right? Trades for me, gets a Super Bowl two years later. And Gruden's pretty dumb, throwing to me 76 times, then not trading me in the offseason ... Real dumb guy, right? ...

``Like I always say, it doesn't have to be my team. I don't always have to shine, but I'm going to always be Batman. No matter where I go, I'm going to be Batman. And then there's Robins. Robins get on TV, too. You don't always need the headlines to be a star. I'm going to always be Batman.''


A South Central L.A. Star

Chat with Key for 4.3 seconds and you realize he isn't just playing games. Who says the man isn't fast? Get him speed talking about his empire. It goes beyond owning a Tampa restaurant. It goes back to where he survived everything life threw at him or he threw back.

At 31, Keyshawn Johnson is a South Central L.A. star in more ways than one. The real estate developments he helps spearhead represent the largest attempt at rebuilding inner city Los Angeles in more than a decade, since the 1992 riots.

``Inner city money spends just as well as suburb money,'' Keyshawn said. ``People in the inner city need to invest in their own communities, not some other community. It's close to my heart because it's urban. I do it for several reasons. I do it for financial reward, for satisfaction, knowing I've put back in some way.''

Keyshawn Capital Development's first major strike was the Chesterfield Square retail center. Keyshawn made a substantial investment. Anchored by a Home Depot, Chesterfield also features a Starbucks co-owned by Magic Johnson, Key's inspiration for dreaming big and building bigger. Now work has begun on Marlton Square, which will include 140 homes and 250,000 square feet of retail space. Just give him the damn mall.

Key is no figurehead. He is awash in blueprints, e-mails and meetings. He works the L.A. city council, schmoozes the mayor, argues for subsidies and courts retailers. ``If I don't go before them on third down, we don't close the deal,'' Key said.

OK, so he's not Robin Hood ...

``Of course you make money. Why would you do a bad deal? I ain't Bill Gates. A $4 million loss will hurt me.''

But Key is no lightweight. A registered Democrat, he'll fly cross country for a fundraiser and write a fat check when he gets there. He worked Florida for Al Gore in 2000. ``I'm still not sure we lost,'' Key said with a grin. He backs winners. And dreams.

If Ahnold can run, why not Key?

``The `Black Prince' doesn't want to get elected to political office,'' Key said with a laugh, using the loving(?) nickname teammates gave him. ``With my deals, it's too much conflict of interest.''


Build Neighborhood, Own A Team

Speaking of interest, what about football?

``I figured I would probably get tired of playing after about 10 years,'' Key said. ``Ten years is a long time. You won't see me hanging around too long. But I can play eight more seasons at a high level.

``You get another ring and that puts you in an elite group. But so does longevity. I'd like to make it into the top 10 list [of catches] ... Hall of Fame? No, not now. I would have to break into the top 10.''

One Key dream: ``I would like to build an entire neighborhood. My project would be homes, an inner- city golf course, playgrounds, tennis courts, schools, shopping centers, everything.''

One last Key dream: ``I want to own a sports franchise. It doesn't have to be a football team. I know a little about sports. Give me a basketball team. I don't need 80 percent. I just want a piece and I want to be involved.''

Key laughed.

``Twenty years from now, I'll be an old fart with four security guards, going down at halftime to cuss out my team. Can't you see it?''

Key can.



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